Luis Alvarez, a retired NYPD detective and a first responder during the Sept. 11 attacks, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 53.
Alvarez's colorectal cancer was specifically linked to his actions on September 11 and the toxins released from the rubble. Alvarez spent weeks after 9/11 searching for victims at Ground Zero and was one of approximately 50,000 people who developed an illness from being around the debris.
In the years following the attack, Alvarez became an outspoken advocate for compensating the first responders who fell ill due to their work on that day. He recently testified before the members of the House Judiciary Committee alongside Jon Stewart, urging legislators to fund the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
“I will not stand by and watch as my friends with cancer from 9/11 like me are valued less than anyone else because of when they get sick. You made me come here the day before my 69th round of chemo," he said, according to the New York Times. "I’m going to make sure that you never forget to take care of the 9/11 responders.”
Alvarez's family reports that he passed peacefully earlier today.
News of Alvarez's passing lead to tributes from New York politicians and personalities.
