Marcy Borders, a 28-year-old resident of New Jersey, had just started her job as a clerical assistant with Bank of America. Her desk was on the 81st floor of the North Tower, and she was supposed to start at 8 a.m.
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| Stan Honda | Facebook |
But at 8.46am, when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the tower, just 12 stories above her, her life changed forever. She noticed the building shaking, and office supplies falling off the shelves and windowsills.
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As she began her attempt to escape the North Tower, which she estimated would take around an hour, the South Tower collapsed, sending large amounts of dust in the direction of the North Tower.
Marcy was startled, struggled to breathe, and fell to the ground. Luckily, a man helped drag her into the lobby of a nearby building.
It was around this moment, as Marcy stood covered in dust and barely able to blink, that a photographer named Stan Honda captured her photo, just seconds before someone led her away.
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| Photographer Stan Honda | Credits: Wikipedia |
Marcy later revealed that she never recovered from the trauma of the 9/11 attacks and developed a fear of tall buildings and planes.
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In August 2014, Marcy was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Unfortunately, she was unable to afford treatment or prescription medications. She died on August 24, 2015.
Marcy believed her cancer was triggered by the toxic dust she was exposed to during the 9/11 attacks and the collapse of the towers.
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