Former NYPD 9/11 responder reunites with transplant team after lifesaving double lung surgery

Thursday marks 24 years since the September 11 attacks, and health struggles linked to the disaster persist for many first responders. William Giammarino, a former NYPD emergency service officer, spent nearly five months at ground zero and later developed severe respiratory disease. Giammarino, a Holbrook resident, father of two and 19-year police veteran, was 38 when he was assigned to the World Trade Center site. He spent months on the pile, exposing himself to more than 150 hazardous substances while aiding recovery efforts. Over time he developed high blood pressure and diabetes and began using inhalers. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with COPD, a condition recognized as related to 9/11 exposures. “Not being able to breathe is awful,” Giammarino said, describing how the illness progressed. He recounted times when simple tasks became impossible — he needed oxygen even to shower and struggled to put on his shoes. He was hospitalized three years ago and ultimately required a double-lung transplant, which he received one year ago at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. North Shore operates the only lung transplant program on Long Island. Giammarino publicly thanked ...