Tuesday's Children helps kids who lost a parent in 9/11 attacks | 60 Minutes Archive
In a Nutshell
Tuesday's Children provides long-term support—counseling, mentoring, and service trips—to the roughly 3,000 children who lost a parent on 9/11. Five years later, these now-teenagers and young adults are still grappling with grief, media reminders, and fading memories, but many find healing by helping others, pursuing their fathers’ careers, and forming bonds with peers who share the same loss. The program’s commitment extends through college, underscoring that recovery is measured in decades, not days.
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Of all the things heard about 9/11, among the most troubling is that about 3,000 children lost a parent that day. Their average age was 9 years old. With the 5th anniversary, questions arose about what had become of this 9/11 generation. For many, it has been a bewildering, painful time. For some, it feels like it's still September the 12th.
To help them move forward, a group called Tuesday's Children has organized counseling, mentoring, and summer trips to help shepherd the children who lost a parent all the way through college.
Two of Tuesday's Children are Bridget Fisher and Brielle Saracini, best friends who never would have met had Brielle's dad not been a captain for United Airlines and Bridget's dad a security specialist at the World Trade Center.
Bridget was in school at lunch when she got pulled into the guidance counselor's office. The counselor immediately reached for the tissue box and handed it to her. Bridget remembered thinking, "Why are you giving this to me? My dad's fine. I don't understand. My dad will be fine."
Bridget's dad, John Fisher, had left the World Trade Center before the attack, but ran back when he heard the explosion. Fisher helped direct the evacuation from the command center. As he went in, pilot Victor Saracini's hijacked 767 was zeroing in on the second tower.
Saracini's daughter, Brielle, was 10 when her mother came to pick her up at school. Her mother took her aside and said, "Dad's hurt." Brielle responded, "Oh, okay," just thinking nothing of it. Then her mother said, "He's really hurt. I don't think we're ever going to see him again."
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