WATCH: Daughter of 9/11 Victim Shares Her Grief After Her Mother’s Remains Identified Almost 20 Years Later; Will Visit Ground Zero For First Time on Saturday
The daughter of a woman who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center shared her grief in a poignant interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, talking about her emotions as the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 approached, her conflicted feelings after her mother’s remains were finally identified after so many years, and her plans to visit Ground Zero for the first time.
On September 11, 2001, Dorothy Morgan was an insurance broker working in the North Tower. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office was finally able to identify her remains last month, using newly developed DNA technology.
Her daughter, Nykiah Morgan, told Cooper that it had been “an emotional roller coaster” finally getting closure to grieve her mother, describing how it had taken “years” to be able to accept that her mother was dead, holding on to the slimmest of hopes that she had somehow survived the plane crashing into her building and the tower collapsing, and “maybe had amnesia and then was released from the hospital [and] was out there living life, happy.”
“Over the years you’ve never been to Ground Zero, is that correct?” Cooper asked.
“I have not,” Morgan replied, and Saturday would be her first time at the site or participating in any of the annual memorial events.
Everyone deals with grief differently, Cooper remarked.
“September 11th on my calendar didn’t exist,” said Morgan. “It was September 10th, September 12th. On the 11th I did nothing. If it was a workday, I stayed home, and I didn’t answer the phone, didn’t watch television at all, nothing. September 11th did not exist for me for many years.”
“My dad died when I was 10 years old,” Cooper said, “and Father’s Day did not exist for me. It was a day, I could not — I just pretended it never happened. I pretended it didn’t exist.”
“Right,” Morgan replied, nodding.
She described her feelings about finally going to Ground Zero for the first time, so soon after finally having her mother’s death officially confirmed, and so now putting her in the middle of needing to find a funeral director, to obtain her mother’s remains, and make the necessary arrangements.
“I don’t know if I’m ready” for all of this, she said.
“It’s got to feel overwhelming,” said Cooper, “it’s got to feel almost like it’s bringing you back to when you first found out.”
“Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.”
On Saturday, the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, Morgan will be among other victims’ family members and would read out loud her mother’s name. She told Cooper that she will be with her godmother, who had been her mother’s best friend since they were in second grade together. It would be her godmother’s first time at Ground Zero as well.
“This is the time to honor my mother and to say her name aloud,” said Morgan. “So I’m going to do it.”
Cooper thanked Morgan for sharing her story. “Grief is just such a — such a long road. And I really — I appreciate you talking about kind of the steps you’ve been taking.”
“Well, I thank you,” she replied. “Thank you for allowing me to voice this.”
“And thank you for telling us about your beautiful mom,” said Cooper.
Watch the video above, via CNN.
