In a heartwarming show of unity, a community has come together to help a retired NYPD officer pay for Ground Zero cancer treatment.

Earlier this year, retired NYPD Officer Scott Blackshaw was diagnosed with terminal brain and spinal cancer and given months to live, according to a New York Daily News article. However, his Long Island neighbors soon stepped in to help the 52 year old first responder pay for treatment.

“This is someone who has pretty much been by himself most of his life,” said Mary Young-Lubchuck, a retired NYPD sergeant who worked with Scott, speaking to the Daily News. “And we want to bring him to a place where he can be healthy again.”

Scott was a first responder during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and his Ground Zero cancer is presumed to be a direct result of the toxic chemicals he was exposed to while searching for bodies in the days after the attacks. “I was overwhelmed. I had never dealt with something like this,” Scott recalled to the Daily News. “You were told to watch for a limb, a body part, so that’s what you did.”

Nine years after his experiences as a 9/11 first responder, Scott moved to South Carolina to start a new life. However, his past caught up with him in April 2015 when he received his first Ground Zero cancer diagnosis.

“One Sunday morning, I decided to have a bagel with cream cheese but about three quarters of the way down (my throat) it stopped,” he said. He later found out that he had esophageal cancer. After months of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, surgeons successfully removed the tumor, along with half his esophagus and stomach.

However, his battle with Ground Zero cancer did not stop there. In 2016, after Scott had returned to Long Island, he began suffering from severe headaches and doctors discovered a golf ball sized tumor in his brain above his right ear. “I thought, ‘Oh wonderful, this ain’t over yet,’” Scott recalled.

Although doctors were able to get rid of the tumor, a second lump appeared, and then a third in early 2018. By his fourth diagnosis, Scott learned he had leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare complication, means that Scott’s Ground Zero cancer spread to the membranes in his brain and spinal cord.

Following his devastating Ground Zero cancer diagnosis, Scott’s neighbors and friends pitched in to provide Scott around the clock companionship and care, with the help of a 24-hour nurse.

Scott recently began a new holistic care program, but the treatment was not covered by the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Seeing his predicament, his community, former colleagues, and local business owners have rallied together to pay the bills for his treatment, so he can stay on track and face this challenge with confidence and support.

Scott is overwhelmed by the support of his friends and community, finding himself overcome with emotion whenever he thinks about the outpouring of support he’s seen. “When you can’t even get your head off the pillow, the last thing you want to think about is, how much is this going to cost me?” Scott told the Daily News.

Scott’s story and struggle with Ground Zero cancer is surprisingly common in 9/11 first responders. If you or a loved one lived or worked near Ground Zero and developed Ground Zero cancer following the 9/11 terrorist attack, you may be eligible for assistance through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. An experienced attorney can assist you in the claims process and ensure you receive the maximum assistance you are eligible for.