story1398.xml
Title
story1398.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-08-22
911DA Story: Story
I was watching the international news channel when my mom called and told me to turn on the regular news channel. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The images I was seeing was of the first tower burning with the second plane coming and hitting the second tower. They just kept replaying that. I called my husband at work and told him right away. He was shocked, also.
I was still watching the news when they said that a bomb had gone off at the pentagon - I think it took them a while to realize it was another hijacked airline. Then they started talking about another missing airplane. I was having such a hard time comprehending what was happening. I was crying and I kept saying "Oh my God". My son was 3 years old at the time and he didn't know what to think. My husband (I was on the phone with him again after the pentagon was hit) kept telling me to calm down.
Needless to say, by the time I got to work I was almost hysterical. Every person that walked into work was in shock or crying.
When a very good friend of mine got to work, we found out that her sister's fiance worked at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of the north tower. They had not heard from him. She started getting phone calls from her sister who had been hearing bits and pieces from her fiance's family about phone calls he had made to his family. It was very disturbing. He died in those attacks. I never got a chance to meet him, but I've heard from many people that he was a wonderful person. She was very lucky to have known him and loved him.
After I heard about all of this I decided to do something to make some money for Cantor-Fitzgerald (that is where my friend's sister wanted the money to go). I made over 700 flag pins and sold them for $1.00 each. We managed to raise $1600.00 for Cantor-Fitzgerald. It wasn't a lot, but I guess it helped. I also had my son's school make cards to send to the fire dept working at ground zero. They were very precious.
I still deal with the trauma of the whole thing daily, but I think I am finally getting back to a somewhat normal life with my husband and my son's help. Even though I didn't personally know something, I really affected me. I have been extremely saddened and touched by stories about victims and survivors.
My life is different now. I live take one day at a time and live each day as if it were my last.
God bless all of the victims families, fire fighters families, police officers families, etc. You will forever be in my heart and prayers.
Leigh Ann Rondilone
I was still watching the news when they said that a bomb had gone off at the pentagon - I think it took them a while to realize it was another hijacked airline. Then they started talking about another missing airplane. I was having such a hard time comprehending what was happening. I was crying and I kept saying "Oh my God". My son was 3 years old at the time and he didn't know what to think. My husband (I was on the phone with him again after the pentagon was hit) kept telling me to calm down.
Needless to say, by the time I got to work I was almost hysterical. Every person that walked into work was in shock or crying.
When a very good friend of mine got to work, we found out that her sister's fiance worked at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of the north tower. They had not heard from him. She started getting phone calls from her sister who had been hearing bits and pieces from her fiance's family about phone calls he had made to his family. It was very disturbing. He died in those attacks. I never got a chance to meet him, but I've heard from many people that he was a wonderful person. She was very lucky to have known him and loved him.
After I heard about all of this I decided to do something to make some money for Cantor-Fitzgerald (that is where my friend's sister wanted the money to go). I made over 700 flag pins and sold them for $1.00 each. We managed to raise $1600.00 for Cantor-Fitzgerald. It wasn't a lot, but I guess it helped. I also had my son's school make cards to send to the fire dept working at ground zero. They were very precious.
I still deal with the trauma of the whole thing daily, but I think I am finally getting back to a somewhat normal life with my husband and my son's help. Even though I didn't personally know something, I really affected me. I have been extremely saddened and touched by stories about victims and survivors.
My life is different now. I live take one day at a time and live each day as if it were my last.
God bless all of the victims families, fire fighters families, police officers families, etc. You will forever be in my heart and prayers.
Leigh Ann Rondilone
Collection
Citation
“story1398.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 7, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/14729.