Family honors memory of son who died on 9/11, other members who died from related illnesses
Twenty-four years later, the Foley family returned to Rescue 3 in the Bronx - the station where it all began.
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A family, who has forever been changed by the Sept. 11 attacks, is keeping the legacy of the Foley brothers alive.
Twenty-four years later, the Foley family returned to Rescue 3 in the Bronx - the station where it all began.
“He was larger than life, indestructible, he was that type of person, that type of firefighter,” said Joanne Foley, their sister. “There was no way in my mind that that could’ve happened to him.”
On Sept. 11, 2001, Joanne had just dropped off her kids at school. Her brothers, Tommy and Danny, both worked at Rescue 3. Danny, who was off duty that day, rushed toward the towers with their father, promising he would bring Tommy home. On the 10th day, Danny found his brother’s body.
Tragedy continued for the family. Their father died of a 9/11-related cancer in 2016, and Danny, a father of five, passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2020 at age 46.
“It was the biggest shock of my life. It was incredibly hard and something I never thought I’d experience,” said Erin Foley, Danny’s daughter.
The family turned their pain into purpose by creating the Foley Strong 9/11 Education Foundation, which aims to ensure that future generations who are too young to remember, never forget. The foundation also partners with Tunnel to Towers to bring mobile 9/11 museums into schools.
“We need to educate on it. Not everybody was taught about it in school, and we feel it’s very important,” said Carrie Foley, Danny’s wife.
At Rescue 3, the memory of the Foley brothers is everywhere — from the gear they wore to the lives they touched.
Through their family’s work with the foundation, their legacy will live on for years to come.
You can learn more about the Foley Strong 9/11 Education Foundation and support its work in Bronx schools here.
