Las Vegas 9/11 first responder battles terminal cancer, seeks community help
David Bliss, who volunteered at ground zero, faces repeated denials from Victim Compensation Fund
A Las Vegas man who rushed to help at ground zero after the September 11 attacks is now fighting terminal cancer and asking the community for help with end-of-life expenses after being repeatedly denied assistance from the federal government.
David Bliss, a former volunteer firefighter from Ohio who now lives in Las Vegas, spent two weeks conducting search and rescue operations in the toxic rubble of the World Trade Center. Nearly 24 years later, he has stage four lung cancer that has spread to his pancreas and liver—a diagnosis his doctors attribute to carcinogens at the disaster site.
“There’s no cure for me because it keeps spreading,” Bliss told 8 News Now, holding a photograph of himself standing where the South Tower once stood.
From Ohio to ground zero
On September 12, 2001, just one day after watching the towers fall on television, Bliss and his best friend drove from Ohio to New York City. Upon arrival, they approached FDNY Station 54 and volunteered their services.
“I asked them if we could go in and help,” Bliss recalled. “They asked us if we had our gear.”
For two weeks, the volunteer firefighter worked alongside New York’s bravest, initially hoping to find survivors in the twisted metal and concrete. Those hopes gradually faded as search efforts transitioned to recovery operations.
“I would think I would hear someone say, ‘Come rescue me, come rescue me,'” he remembered. “And I didn’t.”
Denied despite documentation
Despite his terminal diagnosis and documented service, Bliss has been repeatedly denied assistance from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The fund, overseen by the Department of Justice, requires proof of presence at ground zero through medical records or eyewitness statements—documentation Bliss says he has provided.
“I keep getting denied. Same thing, did not prove proof of presence,” Bliss explained, “even though there are eyewitnesses who remember me in there.”
His attempts to seek help have extended beyond the VCF. Bliss has reached out to Congress, the attorney general, and even the president, but his pleas have gone unanswered.
A bitter irony
The repeated denials have left Bliss feeling abandoned by the country he served without hesitation. He points to the bitter irony of banners proclaiming “We will never forget” while his own sacrifice goes unrecognized.
“There are a lot of us that have literally given our life up for this country,” Bliss said. “And this country is turning their back on us.”
Despite his terminal diagnosis and the bureaucratic obstacles, Bliss maintains no regrets about his decision to help.
“Knowing I’m dying of cancer. Would I do it again?” he asked rhetorically. “Yes, most definitely.”
Community support needed
With official channels failing to provide assistance, Bliss and his wife have turned to the Las Vegas community for help with funeral and burial expenses. They have established a GoFundMe campaign to raise the necessary funds.
The Department of Justice, which oversees the Victim Compensation Fund, did not respond to requests for comment about Bliss’s case.
As the 24th anniversary of September 11 approaches, Bliss’s story serves as a reminder that many first responders continue to suffer and die from illnesses related to their service at ground zero—and that some, like Bliss, are still fighting for recognition of their sacrifice.
Image Sources: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/las-vegas-man-asks-help-062151038.html
Category: Local News
Subcategory: Community & Human Interest
Date: 09/4/2025
