NEW YORK—The body of NYPD Officer Howard Wong was retrieved from his family after Monday night’s wake, after Department of Heath and Mental Hygiene contested the cause of death. Dr. Lyla Correoso wrote on the original death certificate that he had died due to gastric cancer caused by “9/11 toxic exposure.”
Wong was a first-responder at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11, 2001. He was diagnosed with gastric cancer two years ago and passed away Thursday, March 24, at the age of 48. He was about to start his new life in Las Vegas, said Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown Partnership, at the funeral in Chinatown on Wednesday.
Chen was present at the wake on Monday when the family was notified that Wong’s body must be taken back. The wake continued, but later that night morgue workers came to collect the body.
“That’s really uncalled for, to treat a hero like this who died beyond the call of duty,” said Chen. Wong’s mother, Mei Sing Wong, recounted the ordeal through tears with the help of a translator.
“It’s not respectful in the Chinese culture,” she said. Although she gave the consent for her son’s body to be subjected to a second autopsy, she was very unhappy about the situation.
“With the family, we tried to do everything we could to work with them and do what we could in a difficult situation,” said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office (CMEO). She explained that the death certificate was a natural-death certificate.
With a natural-death certificate, an outside influence or cause cannot be given as cause of death. The status of Wong’s certificate has been changed to “pending,” and the CMEO is now in the processes of reviewing reports and determining his official cause of death.
“Right now we have no positive links between the 9/11 toxins and cancer,” said Borakove.
Wong’s case will be pooled with many others under review. Scientists are investigating the link between 9/11 toxins and cancer, but they have not yet been able to prove a causal relationship.
“In five or 10 years we might find a link, then we will have a record of all these deaths of people who worked down at ground zero and [are now listed as having] died of natural causes,” explained Borakove. The death certificates could be amended if the link is proven.
Only two death certificates have ever been issued that list “9/11 toxins” as the cause of death. Many were issued as a result of blunt impact in the 9/11 attacks, but not as a result of toxins from the site.
One of the two certificates was issued for Felicia Dunn-Jones, who died of sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis, also known as sarcoid, is “an autoimmune disease that may affect almost every organ in the body, although involvement of the lung is the most common (90 percent), therefore it may be perceived as a lung disease, ” according to an online medical dictionary. The 9/11 toxins have been definitively linked to this disease.
Dunn-Jones was made famous after a photographer captured her walking down the street covered in white dust after the attack. The photo appeared in many magazines and newspapers in the days that followed.
The other certificate was issued for Leon Heyward, who worked in the World Trade Center area and later died of lymphoma-complicating sarcoid.
“A lot of families had come to us and asked us to review the cause of death of their loved ones—people who died of sarcoid cancer, heart disease. We’ve said that we would do that—that we would investigate these cases,” Borakove said.
In the meantime, Chen expresses his regret that Wong’s name may be forever linked with the memory of his body being retrieved from the funeral parlor rather than for the great man he was.
Before his death, Councilwoman Margaret Chin presented Wong with a special City Council citation medal of honor.
“There are very few Asian-American heroes, and he is truly a hero,” declared Chen. Chen recounted a visit with Wong at the hospital. He said the NYPD officer had probably been about 200 pounds in prime health, but was decimated by the disease, which brought him down to about 70 pounds.
Wong left Chen with some words for people to remember him by. “He wanted us to pass the word down to future generations that he’s looking toward them to take the lead. He has tremendous hope for the future. He’s very positive, and that’s what he should be remembered for, not this temporary snafu, and I hope the world knows this,” said Chen.
With additional Reporting by Hannah Cai
Wong was a first-responder at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11, 2001. He was diagnosed with gastric cancer two years ago and passed away Thursday, March 24, at the age of 48. He was about to start his new life in Las Vegas, said Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown Partnership, at the funeral in Chinatown on Wednesday.
Chen was present at the wake on Monday when the family was notified that Wong’s body must be taken back. The wake continued, but later that night morgue workers came to collect the body.
“That’s really uncalled for, to treat a hero like this who died beyond the call of duty,” said Chen. Wong’s mother, Mei Sing Wong, recounted the ordeal through tears with the help of a translator.
“It’s not respectful in the Chinese culture,” she said. Although she gave the consent for her son’s body to be subjected to a second autopsy, she was very unhappy about the situation.
“With the family, we tried to do everything we could to work with them and do what we could in a difficult situation,” said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office (CMEO). She explained that the death certificate was a natural-death certificate.
With a natural-death certificate, an outside influence or cause cannot be given as cause of death. The status of Wong’s certificate has been changed to “pending,” and the CMEO is now in the processes of reviewing reports and determining his official cause of death.
“Right now we have no positive links between the 9/11 toxins and cancer,” said Borakove.
9/11 Toxins and Cancer
Wong’s case will be pooled with many others under review. Scientists are investigating the link between 9/11 toxins and cancer, but they have not yet been able to prove a causal relationship.
“In five or 10 years we might find a link, then we will have a record of all these deaths of people who worked down at ground zero and [are now listed as having] died of natural causes,” explained Borakove. The death certificates could be amended if the link is proven.
Only two death certificates have ever been issued that list “9/11 toxins” as the cause of death. Many were issued as a result of blunt impact in the 9/11 attacks, but not as a result of toxins from the site.
One of the two certificates was issued for Felicia Dunn-Jones, who died of sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis, also known as sarcoid, is “an autoimmune disease that may affect almost every organ in the body, although involvement of the lung is the most common (90 percent), therefore it may be perceived as a lung disease, ” according to an online medical dictionary. The 9/11 toxins have been definitively linked to this disease.
Dunn-Jones was made famous after a photographer captured her walking down the street covered in white dust after the attack. The photo appeared in many magazines and newspapers in the days that followed.
The other certificate was issued for Leon Heyward, who worked in the World Trade Center area and later died of lymphoma-complicating sarcoid.
“A lot of families had come to us and asked us to review the cause of death of their loved ones—people who died of sarcoid cancer, heart disease. We’ve said that we would do that—that we would investigate these cases,” Borakove said.
In the meantime, Chen expresses his regret that Wong’s name may be forever linked with the memory of his body being retrieved from the funeral parlor rather than for the great man he was.
Before his death, Councilwoman Margaret Chin presented Wong with a special City Council citation medal of honor.
“There are very few Asian-American heroes, and he is truly a hero,” declared Chen. Chen recounted a visit with Wong at the hospital. He said the NYPD officer had probably been about 200 pounds in prime health, but was decimated by the disease, which brought him down to about 70 pounds.
Wong left Chen with some words for people to remember him by. “He wanted us to pass the word down to future generations that he’s looking toward them to take the lead. He has tremendous hope for the future. He’s very positive, and that’s what he should be remembered for, not this temporary snafu, and I hope the world knows this,” said Chen.
With additional Reporting by Hannah Cai
