IT TO YOU IMMEDIATELY.
NOW, AN AMERICAN HERO'S FINAL
INTERVIEW.
THAT'S HOW HE DESCRIBED IT TO US
ON THE PHONE.
AS I REPORTED, LUIS ALVAREZ
RUSHED INTO THE TWIN TOWERS
AFTER THEY WERE ATTACKED.
AUTHORITIES ASSURED THE WORLD
THE AIR IS SAFE.
HE BREATHED IN WHAT WE KNOW IS
TOXIC DUST.
WHILE HE DUG THROUGH THE PILES
OF DEBRIS SEARCHING FOR VICTIMS.
YESTERDAY NEARLY 18 YEARS LATER
AFTER 68 ROUNDS OF CHEMOTHERAPY,
DOCTORS TOLD HIM THERE'S NOTHING
ELSE THAT THEY CAN DO TO FIGHT
HIS STAGE 4 CANCER.
LAST WEEK LUIS WENT WITH
COMEDIAN AND ACTIVIST JON
STEWART AND OTHER FIRST
RESPONDERS TO CAPITOL HILL TO
URGE AGAIN LAWMAKERS TO PROVIDE
LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR THE 9-11
VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND.
>> WE WENT TO GROUND ZERO OF THE
PENTAGON AND SHANKSVILLE TO HELP
PEOPLE FIRST AND THEN HELP THEIR
FAMILIES BURY SOMEONE OR
SOMETHING.
YOU MADE ME COME DOWN HERE THE
DAY BEFORE MY 69th ROUND OF
CHEMO.
I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
NEVER FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF THE
9-11 RESPONDERS.
>> Shepard: HE NEVER FINISHED
THAT 69th ROUND OF CHEMO.
YESTERDAY LUIS POSTED ON
FACEBOOK THAT DURING HIS
TREATMENT, NURSES NOTICED HE WAS
DISORIENTED AND DISCOVERED HIS
LIVER WAS SHUTTING DOWN.
ALL TREATMENTS STOPPED.
LUIS ALVAREZ IS NOW IN HOSPICE
CARE.
HE SAID HE WANTS TO DO THIS ONE
LAND INTERVIEW TO ADVOCATE FOR
HIS FELLOW 9-11 RESPONDERS.
HE WROTE ON FACEBOOK, "I WILL
CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNTIL THE GOOD
LORD DECIDES ITS TIME.
PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES
AND EACH OTHER.
STILL HERE, STILL BREATHING.
STILL FIGHTING."
WITH US NOW FROM LONG ISLAND,
FIRST RESPONDER, RETIRED NYPD
DETECTIVE, AMERICAN HERO, LUIS
ALVAREZ AND HIS SON, DAVID.
LUIS, THANKS SO MUCH.
SUCH AN HONOR FOR YOU TO BE HERE
WITH US.
ARE YOUR CARE GIVERS MAKING YOU
COMFORTABLE?
>> YES, SHEP.
GOOD TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M DOING WELL.
I'M COMFORTABLE.
I'M NOT IN A LOT OF PAIN.
I HAVE MY FAMILY SURROUNDING ME.
I'M AT PEACE.
>> Shepard: WOULD YOU LIKE TO
SHARE WITH OUR VIEWERS ANYTHING
ABOUT YOUR LAST CONVERSATIONS
WITH YOUR DOCTORS?
>> WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN
I WENT FOR MY LAST ROUND OF
CHEMO, THEY NOTICED THAT I WAS
DISORIENTED.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE DATE, I DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT HOSPITAL I WAS IN.
I COULDN'T ANSWER SIMPLE
QUESTIONS OF WHAT YEAR IT WAS
AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THE DOCTORS SENT ME TO TEST.
THEY REALIZED THAT MY LIVER HAD
FINALLY SHUT DOWN.
MY BOD WAS FILLING UP WITH
AMMONIA.
THAT IS WHAT WAS MAKING ME FEEL
DISORIENTED.
>> Shepard: LIFE'S FINAL CURTAIN
IS HARD FOR EVERYONE.
I WONDER AS YOU REFLECT ON YOUR
LIFE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE OUR
VIEWERS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
WHAT YOU LOOK BACK AND SAID THAT
WAS IMPORTANT OR THAT REALLY
MATTERS.
>> WELL, I HAVE NO REGRETS.
NO REGRETS WHATSOEVER.
9-11 HAPPENED.
WE GOT CALLED DOWN.
IT'S MY JOB AS AN NYPD DETECTIVE
TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES.
NO HESITATION.
WENT DOWN, SPENT ABOUT THREE
MONTHS DOWN THERE DOING THE
BUCKET BRIGADE, DOING ROOFTOP
DETAIL, TRYING TO FIND REMAINS.
I DID WORK WITH EVERYBODY.
I'M NOBODY SPECIAL.
I DID WHAT ALL THE OTHER GUYS
DID.
NOW WE'RE PAYING THE PRICE FOR
IT.
>> Shepard: I'D ARGUE THAT ALL
OF YOU ARE SPECIAL.
I'D ARGUE THAT EVERY PERSON THAT
SERVES HIS FELLOW MAN IS SPECIAL
AND DESERVING OF HONOR AS YOU
ARE TODAY.
BUT YOU CALLED US SAYING THAT
YOU WANT TO MAKE ONE LAST
STATEMENT.
>> WE NEED TO GO FAST.
GO QUICKLY, EFFICIENTLY SO WE
DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WASHINGTON
AGAIN AND LOBBY.
IT'S NOT -- I'VE BEEN BLESSED.
I GOT SICK 16 YEARS AFTER THE
FACT.
MY SON, DAVID, HE WAS 11 YEARS
OLD ON 9-11.
HE'S 29 YEARS OLD NOW.
I'M LEAVING HIM WITHOUT A
FATHER.
I HAVE TWO OTHER SONS, TYLER AND
BEN, WHO ARE 19 AND 14.
I'M LEAVING THEM WITHOUT A
FATHER.
THERE'S PLENTY LIKE ME.
LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT SPECIAL.
THERE'S PLENTY GUYS LIKE ME.
OKAY?
I GOT SICK 16 YEARS AFTER THE
FACT.
THERE'S WORKERS OUT THERE THAT
SAY THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN
TO ME.
I'M OKAY.
THE TIME HAS PASSED.
THE TIME DOESN'T -- IS NOT GOING
TO PASS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE AND
MORE AND MORE RESPONDERS GETTING
SICK.
I JUST WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT
JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SICK NOW
DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
GET SICK.
YOU NEED TO BE COVERED.
I'M LUCKY TO HAVE THE HEALTHCARE
THAT I GOT.
A LOT OF GUYS DON'T HAVE IT.
PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT IN TERMS
OF GOING THROUGH THE STRESS OF
FIGHTING CANCER, THEY'RE ALSO
FIGHTING THE FINANCIAL STRESS OF
THE HEALTHCARE.
IT'S NOT RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE SERVED OUR CITY,
OUR STATE, OUR COUNTRY.
SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR IT.
NOT COMPENSATED IN THE SENSE
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE
RICH.
WE JUST WANT THE MONEY TO BE
THERE FOR OUR FAMILIES SO THAT
GOD FORBID THAT THEY DO GET
SICK, THEY'RE COVERED.
THEY HAVE THE HEALTH INSURANCE,
THEY HAVE THE FUNDS TO TAKE CARE
OF THEIR FAMILIES.
GOD FORBID THAT THEY GET SICK
AND DIE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR.
OKAY?
WE DID OUR JOB.
CONGRESS HAS TO DO THEIRS.
OKAY?
WE WERE TOLD THE AIR WAS SAFE
DOWN THERE.
IT WASN'T.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE WENT IN
ANY WAY.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
IT'S NOT A JOB.
IT'S A CALLING.
OKAY?
WE WOULD HAVE WENT IN ANY WAY.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.
>> Shepard: YOU SPENT A LIFETIME
PROTECTING AND SERVING AND
SUDDENLY YOU'RE NOW AN ADVOCATE
FULL TIME.
HOW IS THAT TRANSITIONING AND
WHAT HAS THIS EXPERIENCE BEEN
LIKE FOR YOU?
>> IT'S BEEN A LISTEN
OVERWHELMING.
I'M A HUMBLE UNDER-THE-RADAR
KIND OF GUY TO HAVE ALL OF THIS
ATTENTION IS A LITTLE STRANGE.
BUT I'LL DO WHATEVER I HAVE TO
DO TO SEE MY BROTHERS AND
SISTERS THAT AREN'T COVERED GET
THE COVERAGE THAT THEY NEED.
AND THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.
I WANT TO TELL ALL THE FIRST
RESPONDERS IF YOU THINK IT CAN'T
HAPPEN TO YOU, JUST TAKE A LOOK
AT ME.
OKAY?
16 YEARS LATER I GOT SICK.
IT'S AN EPIDEMIC.
MORE AND MORE FIRST RESPONDERS
GETTING SICK.
OUR GOVERNMENT HAS TO TAKE CARE
OF THEM.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF DECENCY, A
MATTER OF DOING THE RIGHT THING.
WE DID THE RIGHT THING WHEN WE
WENT DOWN THERE.
NOW IT'S THE GOVERNMENT'S TURN
TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY US.
OKAY?
TAKE CARE OF THE FIRST
RESPONDERS THAT ARE SICK.
EASE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT.
GOING THROUGH THIS CANCER IS
STRESSFUL.
NOT JUST ON ME, ON MY WHOLE
FAMILY.
VERY STRESSFUL.
WE NEED TO EASE THE STRESS OF
FIRST RESPONDERS.
LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT
ALONE.
THE GOVERNMENT IS HERE TO BACK
THEM UP, TO GIVE THEM THE
SUPPORT THEIR NEED, THE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE
GOING TO NEED WHEN THEY GET
SICK.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF
TIME BEFORE WE GET SICK.
>> Shepard: LUIS, AS FATE WOULD
HAVE IT AND AS SITUATIONS HAVE
DICTATED, YOU WILL NO BE A
HISTORICAL FIGURE, ESPECIALLY IN
THIS CITY.
AND I WONDER WHEN PEOPLE TALK
ABOUT LUIS ALVAREZ OF
NEW YORKIST FINEST, WHAT YOU'D
LIKE FOR THEM TO SAY ABOUT YOU.
>> I WANT THEM TO SAY THAT I
FOUGHT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS.
IT'S NOT JUST THE NEW YORK
FAMILY.
DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN IN NEW YORK.
AS A BOMB TECHNICIAN, I TRAVELED
AROUND THE COUNTRY, TRAINING AND
WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
I WOULD TALK TO GUYS THAT WERE
LIKE HEY, I GOT THIS COUGH.
I DON'T FEEL GOOD.
THESE ARE GUYS FROM ARIZONA,
NEW MEXICO, CALIFORNIA.
WHEN 9-11 HAPPENED, THEY CAME.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
NOT JUST NEW YORK, ALL OVER THE
UNITED STATES.
THEY ALL SHOWED UP.
SO IT'S NOT A NEW YORK THING.
IT'S A COUNTRY THING.
THERE'S GOES IN OTHER STATES AND
OTHER CITIES THAT ARE SICK.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.
I WANT THEM TO KNOW, HEY, IF YOU
WERE AT GROUND ZERO OR
SHANKSVILLE OR THE LANDFILL, GET
YOURSELF CHECKED OUT.
YOU COULD BE SICK FROM GROUND
ZERO.
>> Shepard: LUIS, WE'RE HONORED
TO KNOW YOU AND THANKS TO YOUR
FAMILY AND ALL THE BEST AND ALL
THE LOVE TO YOU.
GREAT HONOR.
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR
CITY AND OUR NATION.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Shepard: LUIS ALVAREZ.
AT THIS HOUR, AT THE 9-11
VICTIMS COMPENSATION FUND IS
RUNNING OUT OF MONEY AND THOSE
LIKE LUIS SUFFER, LAWMAKERS ARE
STILL SQUABBLING ABOUT WHAT TO
DO.
THE BILL TO EXTEND THE FUND IS
IN LIMBO ON CAPITOL HILL.
LAWMAKERS ARE UNABLE TO WORK OUT
THE DETAILS.
OUR SENIOR PRODUCER FROM CAPITOL
HILL SAYS IT'S UNLIKELY
LAWMAKERS WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT
IT BEFORE THEY GO ON THEIR JULY
FOURTH BREAK.
OF COURSE, THEY COULD.
THEY COULD RESOLVE THEIR
DIFFERENCES AND PASS THIS BILL
RIGHT AWAY.
LUIS ALVAREZ AND THOUSANDS OF
OTHERS WOULD THANK THEM.
IT'S ESTIMATED THE NUMBER OF