Heroes At Ground Zero: Bringing Hands-On Relief To Workers
By Pattie Stechschulte

"After the World Trade Center attack, I spent days at home glued to the TV. I felt an overwhelming urge to be involved in the relief effort. I didn’t know if I would be shoveling dirt or lifting buckets, or if my skills as a chiropractor were needed. Although I was willing to help in any way, I decided that my best gift was to go with the intention of helping through chiropractic," said Dr. Gary Deutchman, a New York City chiropractor.

Days following the deadly airplane attacks at the World Trade Center, many chiropractors from the New York city vicinity talked their way through roadblocks to join other relief workers and to provide care to the rescue workers. Many set up tables at Red Cross Respite centers; others were adjusting on street corners near Ground Zero.

"A friend and myself went in on the 12th, the day after, to adjust some people because there is so much going on. We drove into the city about 11 at night, and we ended up Chelsea Pier where we stayed for several hours and adjusted firemen, policemen and ironworkers," said Dr. Gary Stewart, a chiropractor from Riverdale, N.J..

"Being somewhat of a DE (Dynamic Essentials) rebel, I just got up Thursday morning, grabbed my portable adjusting table, jumped in my car and drove into the city. I just brought my drivers license and my chiropractic license with a goal of getting into Ground Zero," said Michael O’Halleran, of Massapequa, N.Y. "I went through 7 to 8 roadblocks greeted first by the New York Police Department then the National Guard with M16 rifles."

"I was sitting at the midtown tunnel when I first smelled the stench, and then as I pulled into Manhattan it literally turned into a war zone. The National Guard and police officers were on every corner. Everybody is masks with guns, dust and debris everywhere, cars are crushed," said O’Halleran. "I was rerouted to Chelsea Pier, where I set up right next to the Red Cross and adjusted people there. The first day I took care of 40 to 50 rescue personnel, a lot of people from the Red Cross and some of the police officers and firefighters."

"The first day we were there everybody was just trying to help. It was actually very peaceful the first time I was there because everybody just pitched in. Some were like zombies from being there 24 hours straight already. At this point everybody was still very hopeful because they were still finding people," said O’Halleran.

Street Corner Care

A couple days after the attacks, Dr. Gary Deutchman found himself near the World Trade Center adjusting people along with his friend, Dr. Richard Nunziata. "I didn’t know where to go and how to have the greatest effect on the most people that needed my service. I roamed the streets carrying two portable tables, looking for a place I could stay. We adjusted people until 2 a.m."

Deutchman, who returned on Saturday, set up closer to Ground Zero, said, "Thousands of uniformed firemen, policemen and tradesmen were all waiting to enter the destruction site. At this spot, I was surrounded by equipment of all types, twisted metal, vehicles and buildings I once admired now reduced to shattered metal and glass hanging overhead. I started adjusting policemen, soldiers, firemen and tradesmen. They told their fellow officers that chiropractic was available and more people came. Then more chiropractors joined us."

"As crowds of workers came out of the destruction zone, I would shout, 'Chiropractic over here! Who’s next for chiropractic?' Some would look at me like I had two heads, but others would come over and be so thankful that we were there. I spent 15 hours providing care for several hundred people who were in need of chiropractic care, so collectively we must have adjusted thousands of people," said Deutchman.

"I worked at Nino's Restaurant near the Holland tunnel, taking care of officers that were on walking duty patrolling the area," said Dr. Joanne Amicola-Olgee from New Rochelle, N.Y. "Nino donated his restaurant and had food set up for all the relief workers, police officers, firemen to come in to get fed and get right back out. The place was mobbed constantly."

O’Halleran also returned on Saturday with three other chiropractors - Pennie Schwartz, Gary Stewart and Nick Virgilio, just before dawn. "We just walked around in disbelief, as the sun came up and we were literally there. You could smell whatever was burning and pieces of building were still collapsing."

"As I was walking to meet my friends, I past a corner with a couple New York State Police and of they asked if I was a chiropractor because he needed an adjustment. I set up my table and I adjusted them, then one of them drove me down to Ground Zero," said Stewart.

"We were within yards of Ground-Zero, in full view of the remains of Tower Seven and next to the pathway used by the rescue personnel. We opened our portable tables and several hundreds of rescue personnel," said O’Halleran. "The look of pain, fear and disbelief on there faces was slowly erased as they received there adjustments. Some smiled, some hugged and others didn't say a word. As our day progressed, you began to feel a peace settle in our ‘little-camp,’ a safe-haven where rescue personnel could come be adjusted, feel love, smile and know that things were going to be alright."

"Nobody really complained about their backs, it was more the psychological stress that they were experiencing. We adjusted coal miners from West Virginia, the California Earthquake Recovery Team, the Chicago Fire Department and they could not have been more grateful. About 85 percent of the people had never been adjusted before, so it was there first experience with chiropractic and they were just opened to it," said O’Halleran.

"Everybody was just totally out of it. A lot of people had never received an adjustment before; we just told them we were going to get your life turned back on. We would give them an adjustment, hug them and tell them how much we appreciate what they are doing," said Stewart. "It is just amazing that these people give so much and to just be there to give them just a little bit by giving an adjustment, it is just such an overwhelming mix of feelings between hurt and love that goes on."

When Deutchman returned the following Monday, he was able to get through security and join a bucket brigade working on digging a tunnel to the garage under the Westside Highway. "Seven hours later, I emerged out of the zone to return to my chiropractic post covered with dirt and had a very sore back. I now felt complete that I experienced all of these things, so I will be able to know firsthand what my patients went through."

Adjusting at the Javitz Center

Hours after the attacks, thousands of search and rescue personnel from around the country converged on New York City to join the search for any survivors. The workers were housed at the Jacobs Javitz Center where they slept in pup tents inside the convention center. Along with sleeping arrangements, many other services were made provided for them including chiropractic care.

"I was glued to the television. I said I know that I can do something to help these guys, these guys are doing something for us and we have got to do something for them. What better thing than chiropractic," said Dr. Terry Eagle. "When I walked in I had no idea what to expect. We were in a balcony overlooking the rest of the Javitz Center, along with massage therapists and acupuncturists. People would come get a massage, an acupuncture treatment then an adjustment."

"We adjusted literally hundreds, certainly over a thousand people. It is so busy at shift changes that we literally could not count because they were lined up. Everyone was getting adjusted including the National Guard, the task force teams, policemen, firefighters, the Red Cross and Salvation Army workers, the ironworkers and the volunteers," said Dr. Holly Tidwell, a Texas chiropractor who spent 10 days in New York volunteering her services. "I traveled to NYC because I was blessed in many ways with the opportunity to do so."

As word spread about the chiropractic care, they started attracting even more patients including furry ones.

"A lot of the workers were coming up with their dogs, and I have always adjusted dogs in my practice as a favor for my patients. When they caught wind of the fact, I had not only the owners, but the dogs were also sitting in line waiting for me," said Eagle. "Those dogs are the most unbelievable animals, they would just lay there. Later they told me that the dogs were reacting better after the adjustments."

"When we worked with whoever comes in, they are just exhausted and dragging. They have been extremely grateful our services. It just took the tension out of the body and they felt so much better," said Amicola-Olgee. "They just felt chiropractic was a wonderful experience for them. It is a very rewarding experience to be able to go down there and help in whatever capacity you can."

"One morning after adjusting rescue workers, I was sitting down trying to collect myself for the one hour ride home. It was maybe about 3 a.m., and I had been at the Javits Center since 8 p.m. after a full day at the office. I was talking to a rescue worker who started to share his appreciation for all we where doing. So I was thanking him for his long hard efforts and the fact that he was away from his family for weeks. In his modesty, like many other heroes, just said he was doing his job," said Dr. Bob Debonis, a chiropractor who practices in Midtown Manhattan.

"We talked for a while and he told me he had been on site for ten days. He remarked that usually his team started to break down after day seven when they are deployed in a disaster. Here, they all were at day ten sleeping a few hours a night on floors or cots, and they were all healthy and performing at their peak performance. The only difference he could see was that his men were getting adjusted, massaged and acupuncture treatments. We were keeping them going," said Debonis.

Working Through The Red Cross

A week or two after the disaster, a more organized volunteer system was established for chiropractors through the New York Chiropractic Council. "The people beforehand were kind of slipping in and they were doing a great job, but right now everybody has to be credentialed through the Red Cross," said Dr. Ellen Coyne, chairman of the New York Chiropractic Council.

"Dr. Richard Gorgo, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, actually set up the initial credentialing through FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and now everything has to go through the Red Cross," said Dr. Coyne. "It's not a political thing, we don't ask them what organization they belong to. People are just really working together. We are just trying to get things organized and scheduled through one location."

The volunteer chiropractors are scheduled to work six hour shifts (2 to 8 or 8 to 2) at two different Red Cross Respite Center at the Marriott Financial Hotel and St. Johns University, then two other centers at St. Paul's Chapel and Styvenson High School. Chiropractic care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at these centers with three to five chiropractors on duty.

"We are credentialing chiropractors just to make sure they have their licenses and malpractice insurance, then we send them to the American Red Cross to getting their high-security clearance badges," said Coyne. "We schedule chiropractors from all over the country, they are calling us from the airport asking us where to go. Chiropractors are amazing."

Many chiropractic vendors, associations and schools have sent tables and supplies for the volunteers to use. The University of Bridgeport donated chiropractic tables, and Life University offered to send tents.

"The feedback from the Red Cross has been tremendous about the chiropractors, and the rescue workers are just singing the praises of chiropractic. So many of them have never been exposed to chiropractic before, and so they are really happy, excited. They are hugging the chiropractors and kissing them. The Red Cross is seeing that and hopefully this will pan out to when they are doing other disaster relief efforts that maybe they will call upon us to help out," said Coyne.

"What you get by giving chiropractic to these people is so much greater than whatever energy you put out. The appreciation is fantanastic, it is embarrassing," said Debonis. "When you have a rescue worker from half way around the country thanking you for being there and adjusting them, you are thanking them for being away from their family. It is a mutual admiration. The humility is just unbelievable. A real comradie develops to where everyone is genuinely caring for each other. They are worried about you as much as you are about them."

The Experience

"When I was driving down the FDR, I was looking at New York harbor and it looked absolutely beautiful. The only weird thing was that there was a war ship in the harbor, no other boats," said O’Halleran. "I adjusted with my back to everything (Ground Zero), because I couldn’t just look at the whole thing and still be able to adjust people because it was that emotional."

"The hard thing is that my patients keep asking me about it. I just tell them that it is something you can't describe, but the greatest thing that I got out of it was when I left that Saturday, I knew things were going to be okay. When you saw everybody volunteering," said O’Halleran.

"It is the most unbelievable scene I have ever seen. I know the word has been used a lot, but it really is surreal, very surreal. It was like a movie set or something," said Amicola-Olgee. "On the other side of it, you go through both emotions when you are there, the firemen and volunteers are hugging each other, supporting each other. They were so thankful for what we were doing."

"Just remembering and having been back there a couple more times since, I still have a knot in my stomach and tears. It so hard to describe, you have a combination because of the devastation and the pain and the hurt over somebody doing this to so many human beings. At the same time when you are there you are crying almost with joy because there is so much outpouring of love and giving from all the people that are there," said Stewart.

return to top