On this episode of Our American Stories, on September 11, 2001, firefighter Niels Jorgensen ran toward the collapsing Twin Towers as part of the FDNY brotherhood that risked everything to save lives. Like so many first responders, he later faced a slower, quieter enemy: cancer caused by the toxic dust that blanketed Lower Manhattan after the attacks. His illness connected him with someone far outside the firehouse brotherhood: billionaire David Koch. Their backgrounds could not have been more different, yet their paths converged in the fight against 9/11-related disease. Jorgensen shares the story of the unexpected bond that grew out of tragedy.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)