PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Glendale woman is sharing her story of loss as the nation marks the anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Maureen Geraghty lost a brother, a brother-in-law and later another brother, all connected to their work at Ground Zero. She shared her story for the first time publicly Friday.
The phone call
Geraghty said that day reached from New York to her home in Glendale when she received a call from a family member.
“She said, ‘okay we heard from..’ and she listed the names of the people in my family who we heard from, and then said, ‘but we haven’t heard from Tommy or Eddie yet,’” Geraghty said.
Tommy and Eddie were New York City Fire Department chiefs. Her brother-in-law, Thomas DeAngelis, and her brother, Edward Geraghty, were missing.
Geraghty rushed back to New York, joining her family in the days of waiting.
“We stayed in hope for a couple of weeks,” Geraghty said. “And then we went down to Ground Zero to say goodbye.”
Final moments
Geraghty later learned Thomas died inside a hotel between the towers.
Through radio recordings, she found her brother Edward’s final moments. On the 40th floor, he had set up a triage area and was communicating with another fire chief on a higher floor.
“He asked my brother to come up, and so my brother’s final words and his response was ‘I’m coming up, Oreo.’ And so, he was coming up,” Geraghty said.
Geraghty said she heard her brother’s strength in those last words.
“It was comforting to hear him being a leader, taking charge, doing what he loves to do, which is saving other people’s lives,” Geraghty said.
A third loss
Four years ago, Geraghty’s brother Stephen Geraghty, also a fire chief, died from 9/11-related health complications.
He spent hours at Ground Zero after the attacks. He was one of more than 9,000 people who have died because of the aftermath.
“So he suffered, right? I mean that was different,” Geraghty said.
A message of unity
Geraghty said she chooses to share her story as a message of love and unity.
She commemorated the 25th anniversary of the tragedy by holding an event Friday, titled “The Choice on 9/12: A Healing Experience” at New Vision Center for Spiritual Living.
“Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring it forth, but I don’t think that’s necessary, we can choose it now,” Geraghty said.
Asked what message she would share with her brothers, Geraghty said she would want to thank them for sacrificing their lives.
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