A personal connection to 9/11 inspires health advocacy 

For Nadia Vizueta, the anniversary of Sept. 11 is both a national day of remembrance and deeply personal.

Vizueta, communications manager with MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety, was a junior at New York University on Sept. 11, 2001. From her dorm room, she could see the World Trade Center towers and watched the events of that morning unfold. As a journalism student, she later walked toward the area, speaking with people leaving the scene, some covered in debris.

Years later, Vizueta was diagnosed with metaplastic breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease. She came to believe her illness may have been connected to exposure to toxic substances in the aftermath of the attacks. Through the federal World Trade Center Health Program, she received access to physicians familiar with 9/11-related health conditions and specialized care for her diagnosis.

Today, that experience has made her an advocate for others who may have been exposed.

The World Trade Center Health Program, administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides medical monitoring and treatment for eligible responders and survivors affected by the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath. Vizueta has encouraged people who lived, worked or studied near the World Trade Center to learn about the program and remain attentive to their health.

“The anniversary does trigger some of those memories,” Vizueta said in a 2025 interview with WLNS. “A lot of that sadness and ultimately, I do know several people who lost loved ones during that day, and I think about them.”

Her experience also gives the program’s message a personal connection for the MSU community. For people whose lives intersected with the attacks, the health effects can continue decades later — making awareness, screening and access to appropriate care especially important.

The anniversary also carries a connection to MSU history. Robert R. Ploger III, who attended MSU, was among those killed on Sept. 11, 2001. He and his wife, Zandra, were aboard American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon while they were traveling on their honeymoon.

Twenty-five years later, remembrance can take many forms. For Vizueta, part of it is making sure others who were there know that help is still available.

For more information, visit the World Trade Center Health Program.