A local audience listened in intent silence Sept. 29 as 9/11 survivor Ron DiFrancesco shared his harrowing story.
DiFrancesco was the keynote speaker at the second annual Dr. Edward J. Conroy Distinguished Lecture Series and Community Leadership Awards event, put on by Huntington University.
A Canadian who now lives in Toronto, DiFrancesco is believed to be the last person out of the South Tower of the World Trade Center before it collapsed.
According to some reports, he was one of only four people to escape from above the 81st floor. He was able to fight his way through smoke and flames to make his way to the ground floor.
DiFrancesco had just reached the exit when the tower started collapsing on top of him, and figures he was blown clear of the debris.
Two days later, he woke up in hospital with burns on 60 per cent of his body, a broken bone in his back and his contact lenses melted to his eyes.
Fifteen years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, he said he's still not sure how he survived.
“I persevered, I was luckier, I was blessed,” he said. “To believe otherwise would be an insult to the memory of those who perished, to the others that survived, and indeed, to my very real faith.”
After this experience, DiFrancesco said he has a heightened sense that life is a gift. “So we ask ourselves, what do we do with those gifts?” he said, stressing the importance of volunteer work.
DiFrancesco said he's involved in organizing the Invictus Games, a multi-sport event for wounded service personnel and veterans and takes part in a charity bike ride, among other activities.
He congratulated the six individuals and organizations that were presented with awards at the event — Dr. Denis-Richard Roy, the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury, Markus Valtonen, the Northeastern Ontario Health Centre for Kids, St. Joseph's Villa and Rick Bartolucci.
Huntington president Kevin McCormick said the event was about highlighting the good work being done locally and inspiring others to consider how they too can make a difference.
“Ron DiFrancesco’s compelling story draws you in, but it is his message about gratitude and the importance of giving back that paired perfectly with our event and our goal to shine the spotlight on community groups and individuals who are making a difference in our community,” he said.
