As we go about our busy lives, I want to take a moment to pause and remember one of my heroes. Yamel Merino was a young single mom of 8-year-old Kevin, whom she adored. She had a great job and excelled at it. When the World Trade Center was attacked by order of Osama bin Laden, she was one of the first responders who rushed to the scene. An EMT for MetroCare ambulance service, Yamel ran into tower 2 to do what she did for a living: save lives.

Yamel Merino lost her life when the tower fell. She was among the first working mothers to be identified as a victim of September 11, and to be mourned by the nation.

In response to the loss and grief we all felt, and to the hopelessness
of that terrible time in New York city, we launched the Working Mother 9/11 Children’s Fund. You, dear readers, helped raise $50,000, which aided many children during those days of chaos and red tape. Yamel’s son was the first child we supported, and I am proud that we made a difference in his life. Today, Kevin is thriving, says his mentor, Jim O’Connor, who was Yamel’s boss. Raised by his maternal grandmother, Ana, Kevin is passionate about writing and animation. He recently graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers, NY, and will soon enter community college.

On this tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, let’s celebrate the strength of a mother’s love—and renew our promise to never forget.