Photo: Photo captured by Todd Maisel
Today’s Feels Goods is pretty special, not only is it about 9/11, but it’s also involving a good friend I had in high school. Her name was Jessica Amoroso (now Jessica Ross).
Her big brother was Officer Christopher Amoroso, and Jessica’s family, as well at his wife Jamie and daughter, lost him …. that day.
But, they knew he saved someone. And that’s because a (now) pretty well-circulated photo captured him with a bruised eye, helping to carry a distressed woman away to safety. And this woman is looking right at the camera, you can see her distress.
Christopher’s wife Jamie had no other information about her, and after several years without finding her, figured it’s possible she wasn’t saved, because for 2 decades no one could identify her.
Until just now.
On a tribute page, someone identified her as his mother, Suman Dhamija. He wrote she couldn’t breathe because of her severe asthma after running down the stairs of the second tower, and Officer Amoroso helped get her up and get her away before that tower collapsed shortly after, possibly with him in it.
Jamie was able to finally video chat with Suman, who told her all about the bravery of her husband that day, and it brought her a kind of closure she’s been longing for all this time.
Jessica wanted me to say they hold a softball tournament in his name every year, and she does a lot of charity work in his name. So they keep him alive and we'll always.
Our hearts go out to every family who lost someone in that day, and please find a way to celebrate them still.