Marcy Borders, the 9/11 survivor, who became known as the “Dust Lady” after being immortalized in a heart-wrenching photograph taken following the attacks on September 11th, has died tragically from stomach cancer at the age of 42.
Borders was just 28 on 9/11, and only one month into a new job at Bank of America inside the World Trade Center. After the first tower collapsed, she ran down the building’s stairs and sought refuge in a nearby office lobby, where AFP photographer Stan Honda took her photograph. In the now iconic image, Borders is seen covered head-to-toe in dust. “You could tell she was nicely dressed for work and for a second she stood in the lobby. I took one shot of her before the police officer started to direct people up a set of stairs…” Honda said in an interview, just months after the attacks.
Borders admitted that she struggled emotionally following the attacks, and was dealing with depression that led to substance abuse issues, joblessness, and massive debt. She was finally turning things around in 2014, when her cancer diagnosis which she believed was directly linked to 9/11 — delivered another crippling blow……..
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Image: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Image