Former NY Gov. George Pataki reveals 9/11-related illness

Former NY Gov. George Pataki reveals 9/11-related illness | Report Show Caption Hide Caption NYPD helicopter pilot took rarely seen photos of Sept. 11 attacks A retired NYPD detective and helicopter pilot talks about the several hours he spent in a helicopter above the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Former New York Gov. George Pataki recently revealed he is suffering from a 9/11-related lung disease resulting from his exposure to toxins at Manhattan's Ground Zero ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Pataki, who served as the state's governor during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and its aftermath, told the New York Post he's been diagnosed with restrictive airway disease over the last five years. The disease can cause cough, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants as a result of the Twin Towers' collapse. And more than 170,000 pages of air quality reports, contamination records and correspondence between New York City officials released to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 8, by Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office reveal the effects were more pervasive than initially let on. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also suffers from restrictive airway disease as a result of his exposure to Sept. 11-related toxins, USA TODAY reported earlier this year. A spokesperson for Giuliani linked the Republican politician's May health scare to the condition, saying it "adds complications to any respiratory illness." Pataki told the Post he sees himself as "one of the lucky ones" and that he hasn't been diagnosed with cancer. "The people who were with me at Ground Zero over and over for months after those attacks, many of them have serious illnesses, far more serious than anything I might be experiencing," he told the Post. The 81-year-old Republican's accolades include being elected the mayor of Westchester County's city of Peekskill and several years in state Legislature before he served as New York's governor for three terms from 1995 to 2006. Pataki currently resides in Garrison, New York, in Putnam County with his wife, Libby. He could not be reached immediately for comment on Sept. 8. Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers' taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.