Former NYC cab driver who shuttled passengers from Ground Zero diagnosed with stage 4 cancer; advocates say many drivers underrepresented in 9/11 programs

Jeffrey Wolkin, a former New York City livery driver who spent months ferrying passengers out of lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer that has spread to his liver, his family said. His case highlights concerns that taxi and livery drivers who worked near Ground Zero remain underrepresented in programs for 9/11-related illnesses.

Wolkin, now 65 and living in Whitestone, Queens, was 41 on Sept. 11, 2001. He said he drove into lower Manhattan three times that morning and spent roughly 223 hours transporting clients below Houston Street over the following 10 months. "Whichever way the wind was blowing, you smelled death — and you couldn't forget it," Wolkin said, recalling the pervasive odor he said he encountered while working downtown.

Wolkin's son, Joseph, said a doctor discovered a tumor "the size of a golf ball," and Wolkin required an emergency tracheotomy that removed part of the growth without damaging his tongue. Joseph Wolkin said his father has battled cancer before; the current diagnosis is the second time he has faced stage 4 cancer. Medical providers estimate his chance of survival at roughly 3 percent, and he has suffered a rapid 70-pound weight loss, dropping to about 100 pounds.

"My dad went from a healthy, active man to bedridden in a hospital with tubes coming out in front of my eyes," Joseph Wolkin said, describing his father's recovery from the surgery and a prolonged period when Wolkin could not speak and had to relearn to talk.

Advocates and attorneys representing affected drivers say many cab and livery drivers who worked in lower Manhattan during and after the attacks have struggled to obtain compensation and health program enrollment. Patrick Rheaume of the law firm Barasch & McGarry, which represents more than 35 drivers, said workers who operate alone and are not union members face a high burden of proof to qualify for programs established for 9/11 responders and survivors.

"People like cab drivers are completely underrepresented in the [9/11 illness victims] program," Rheaume said, noting that the lack of workplace records and collective representation can complicate applications for the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

The city Taxi and Limousine Commission said in a statement that drivers played an "often overlooked yet critical role" in the wake of both the Sept. 11 attacks and the 2001 crash of American Airlines Flight 587, noting that more than 1,000 drivers volunteered to transport victims' families and first responders. "We refer any driver who believes their health may have been affected to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the WTC Health Program," TLC press secretary Jason Kersten said.

Wolkin's family said he has qualified for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the WTC Health Program with the assistance of his lawyer, Jason Weisfuse. Attorneys and advocates have urged other drivers who worked in or near Ground Zero to seek enrollment and legal advice to determine eligibility.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In the years since, thousands more have been diagnosed with illnesses linked to exposure at and near Ground Zero; advocates and program administrators have reported several thousand deaths attributed to 9/11-related conditions.

Wolkin, who held a TLC license during his years as a driver, said he does not look back on his efforts after the attacks with bitterness and believes that those on the scene did not understand the health risks at the time. He said he keeps up his spirits through visits and gifts from friends, including fishing gear for a hobby he has not been able to enjoy in more than a year.

"I'm weak," Wolkin said. "But I'm not ready to die." He added that friends tell him "Don't give up," and that he prays to join them again soon.

Legal and advocacy groups continue to encourage former drivers and other civilians who worked in lower Manhattan in the weeks and months after Sept. 11 to review their eligibility for federal and state programs and to seek medical evaluation if they have new or worsening respiratory or cancer-related symptoms. Attorneys say documentation of work at or near Ground Zero, even if informal, can support applications to compensation and health-monitoring programs.