College student Ceasar Borja Junior wanted to attend the State of the Union speech to represent his father, a former New York police officer who worked at Ground Zero and lay in hospital with life-threatening lung problems. Less than three hours before the speech, the 21-year-old got the devastating news that his father had died.But Borja insisted on honouring his father’s memory by attending the prime-time address. “He passed away right when I’m down here fighting for him. This is the most I’ve ever done for Dad,” Borja said.Cesar Borja (52), had been a police officer for 20 years. In recent days, he had been in an intensive care ward at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, breathing through a tube and hoping for a lung transplant.“His battle will alert others to these devastating diseases and hopefully lead to better outcomes for others involved,”said the medical center’s chief executive officer, Kenneth L Davis. Borja’s case is the latest to draw attention to those who have fallen ill after exposure to the toxic debri pilea at the World Trade Center site.Borja said he came to Washington to make the point that there are many more whose lives are threatened by their exposure at Ground Zero.He had been invited by Senator Hillary Clinton, a longtime advocate for September 11 health issues. Clinton and other New York lawmakers have been urging the federal government for years to pay for treating September 11-related illnesses.-DEVLIN BARRETT
