Beloved N.J. Cop Dies After Battling Illness From 9/11 Attacks

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A beloved Essex County resident and New Jersey state trooper passed away Wednesday from a long-term illness that he contracted while serving at the World Trade Center after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

According to the NJ State Police, Lt. Bill Fearon leaves behind his wife Janice and their three children, Ryan, Elyse and Jessie.

In May of 2015, Fearon – a Cedar Grove resident and youth sports coach – was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor (glioblastoma), a form of cancer that affects the left and right halves of the brain that control reading, thinking, speech, muscle movement and emotions.

After undergoing surgery three days later, he bravely fought the disease until passing away Wednesday, police said.

“Even during this difficult time, Bill maintained his sense of humor, positive attitude and can-do spirit,” the NJ State Police wrote on their Facebook page. “Bill put it best when he stated, ‘Every day I put my feet on the ground and I look forward to winning… This is the mindset that I have, it’s about living without fear.’”

According to police, Fearon’s bravery in the face of adversity manifested in the hundreds of “No Fear” wristbands that he distributed to family and friends.

Fearon served with the 114th state police class, graduating on Sept. 23, 1994. He served his entire career in numerous roles within the division’s Field Operations Section, including Troops B and D.

“Bill fought a hard battle which inspired many us,” the West Essex PBA Local #81 stated.

An online GoFundMe campaign in support of Fearon that started in May of 2015 has seen a revival from mourners in the days since the trooper’s passing.

“Donations made through the GoFundMe campaign will help cover medical costs and expenses not covered by insurance,” organizers wrote.

As of Thursday, the campaign has raised almost $60,000. See the GoFundMe page here.

9/11 RESPONDERS AND FATAL ILLNESSES

Fearon’s passing is among many tragic losses suffered long after the terrorist attacks ended.

According to The Guardian, at least 1,000 first responders at the scene of the Sept. 11 attacks have suffered “lingering, painful deaths” resulting from illnesses related to their exposure to debris that spread from the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers, a number that’s still rising.

Many of the affected first responders have also reported debilitating difficulties with insurance coverage, a situation that their family members have lambasted as a cruel irony for those who placed their lives at risk to save others.

“I only served for two days, but that was all it took to destroy my body,” a 9/11 first responder told Time in 2015. “A few years later as the health problems intensified, I was sitting at my desk, and I couldn’t breathe. I started having respiratory attacks, as well as other symptoms that I didn’t recognize. I would get up in the middle of the night to chug milk from the fridge because I had really bad heartburn. That 9/11 could be the cause didn’t even cross my mind.”

In November of 2015, an emergency responder who helped to search for abandoned pets in the wake of the 9/11 attacks died of cancer on Friday, only four days after a state judge denied her workers compensation claim.

According to an obituary on the Officer Down Memorial Page, Brooklyn native and ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officer Diane DiGiacomo – a recurring guest on the reality TV show “Animal Precinct” - died as the result of cancer that developed following prolonged exposure to toxic materials while conducting search and rescue operations.

In 2014, DiGiacomo’s doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer, which eventually metastasized to her brain, the Staten Island Advance reported.

Despite DiGiacomo’s cancer diagnosis, on Nov. 16, a New York state judge denied her workers’ compensation claim as she lay confined to her bed and weighing 60 pounds, according to the New York Daily News.

• See related article: 9/11 Animal Rescuer Dies 4 Days After Judge Denies Her Workers' Comp Claim

Photo: NJ State Police

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