• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

  • HOME
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • FAQ
  • CONTACT

Fourteen Years, and Marcy Borders

September 11, 2015 by WendyB

Last month, Marcy Borders died of stomach cancer. She had had a difficult life since Sept. 11, 2001. On that day, she was 28 and had been at her job at Bank of America for just a month. Her office was on the 81st floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. She ignored her boss’s order to stay at her desk and left, only to be caught in the cloud of debris caused by the collapse of the south tower. Someone pulled her to safety inside another building lobby, where photographer Stan Honda snapped what became known as the “Dust Lady” photo.


Embed from Getty Images

She later told the New York Post, ““It was like my soul was knocked down with those towers.” A traumatized Borders suffered from severe depression, became addicted to crack and lost custody of her two children for a period of time. Months before the 10th anniversary of the attack, she went to rehab, which is where she was when Osama bin Laden was killed. She told the Post, “The treatment got me sober, but bin Laden being killed was a bonus. I used to lose sleep over him, have bad dreams about bin Laden bombing my house, but now I have peace of mind.” She regained custody of her children.

Then came the cancer diagnosis last year. Speaking to the Jersey Journal last November, she said she didn’t have health insurance and owed nearly $200,000 for medical treatment thus far. “I try not to cry – $190,000 already and I still haven’t had surgery, and I still need more chemo,” Borders said, in tears. She only took the minimum number of pills meant to help her with gas, nausea and pain. “”I take it when needed,” she said. “I can’t afford to take as it’s prescribed.” She posed for the Journal’s photographer with the free wig she had received and without it.

She was only 42 when she died. It’s possible that her name will be added to the 9/11 memorial, should her family request it.

My previous 9/11 posts are here, from oldest to newest:

2007

  • September 11 Is Here Again

2008

  • 9/14/01
  • Laughing While Crying
  • The Prodigal Bumpe Returns

2009

  • Three Old Posts and a Little Story

2010

  • Thoughts on 9/11: The Devil Is in the Details

2011

  • “I Thought Everybody Else Was Lost”
  • 10 Years Later: “Essential Acts of Witness”
  • 10 Years Later: The Weak Horse

2014

  • MrB and the Memorial Museum

You might also like
Thoughts on 9/11: The Devil Is in the Details
Unfinished Business of 9/11/21
9/14/01

Filed Under: 9/11

Previous Post: « Pet Peeve: Celebrity Profiles and SANS FARDS
Next Post: The Week in Review »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. stacy says

    September 11, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    Heartbreaking. Just so so sad and unfair 🙁

    • WendyB says

      September 13, 2015 at 10:14 pm

      Poor lady 🙁

Primary Sidebar

MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

ARCHIVES

CATEGORIES

Facebook Pagelike Widget

POPULAR TOPICS

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe for Email updates.
* indicates required

Original jewelry designs, photos and text are © Wendy Brandes 2007-2016. All rights reserved.

© 2016 · FOODIE PRO THEME COPYRIGHT BY · SHAY BOCKS GENESIS FRAMEWORK · BUILT ON THE WORDPRESS