9/11 Stories: FDNY Widow Patty Hess & Daughter Kimberly Hess

Patty Hess comes from a family of firefighters. Her Dad was a firefighter. So was her husband, Robert, known as Bobby, with whom she was raising 4 children: a 1 year old; 3 year old twins and an 8 year old daughter, on September 11th, 2001. Newly promoted to Lieutenant, Bobby had swapped shifts with Captain Thomas Farino, who became one of the 343 FDNY’ers killed that day. Bobby wanted the morning and afternoon off because he & Patty were re-doing the kitchen in their small home in Marine Park, Brooklyn. In fact, when the first plane hit The North Tower, Bobby and Patty were awaiting the arrival of firefighter friends, who offered to help do the kitchen work. Bobby told his wife, “Maybe I should go in early”. Patty remembers advising him, “Why don’t you take the kids to school (it was the first day of pre-school for the twins). They’re (the firefighters) are going to need relief later”. Patty says had he gone in early, he probably would have died because he likely would have been in one of the buildings when they collapsed.
Marine Park, Brooklyn was home to so many FDNY’ers, the joke was, if your house was on fire, 10 firemen would show up with garden hoses to fight it. Heading out the door, Bobby linked up with several other FDNY’ers, collected their gear from a local firehouse, and then commandeered a city bus to take them to the World Trade Center.
Patty didn’t see Bobby again until the next day. When he got off the bus, the whites of his eyes were totally pink. A neighbor brought out her daughter’s C-Pap machine to help him breath. Patty says her husband was never the same, suffering from PTSD. Lieutenant Bobby Hess contracted a rare 9/11 cancer 9 years later. He died from surgical complications a month after diagnosis.
On September 11th, Patty & Bobby’s daughter, Kimberly, was in the 3rd grade class , when children began to be pulled out, one by one. Not knowing why, the rumor was they all had head lice. When Kimberly’s mom showed up, Kimberly was one of just 3 kids left in class. She remembers her mom crying in the hall, and asked her, “Mommy. Mommy, do I have head lice too?” Kimberly remembers spending the rest of the day playing with neighborhood kids outside. They were making a game of all the papers flying in the air from 42 miles away from The World Trade Center. Who could collect the most? One kid thought he was rich, grabbing a charred business check for $5,000.
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[@carolethorn3211]

So real. I love this one. Their story is a little different in the way they tell it - from a young family's perspective. Details of life from the surrounding communities - the neighborhood kids making a game of finding the papers, the kitchen remodel delays, sitting on the stoop and then even school head lice! I loved this very touching, very warm addition to the BIG story. 20 years and it seems like only yesterday sometimes.

[@debclassyfied9723]

As a child of 11 my hometown was destroyed by a tornado in April 1974. Our houses were ok but us kids went to different neighborhoods and played in the rubble, throwing bricks into mud puddles looking through abandoned houses i remember a Huge tree was pulled out of the ground and left a big hole probably 10 feet deep and we climbed in that hole half the day in there just playing. We saw our school buddies all doing the same things. I can understand how kids would all be playing together making a game of finding and collecting things like papers and checks.

[@Tom68446]

I'm so sorry that your husband and dad died of the 9/11 cancer! God Bless you! He helped so many!

[@californiahiker9616]

Thank you Mrs Hess and daughter for telling your stories! I know it was painful to do so. It’s important to hear from people who weren’t in the towers, but we’re affected anyway. It makes the rest of the world understand the bigger picture of NY and surrounding areas that day. You made sacrifices nobody should have to make. Best wishes to you and your beautiful daughter!

[@wandarask8444]

The poor mother-in-law, her heart would be in so much pain, knowing her son went to help so many people. Well done" mother,-in-law you should be so proud of your son . Bless you .

[@kathleenwindsor5679]

I remember the smell and smoke too. The day went from those beautiful blue skies to looking like a bad storm was blowing through. My kids brought home burnt papers too. Tragic day.

[@alison4316]

I'm watching the daughter while mom talks lol Daughter is used to mom talking lol

[@artrobert0875]

These stories are so important. Thank you for sharing.

[@imshaehen9971]

I am sorry for your loss...xoxox from Dallas Texas ❤️❤️❤️

[@LLandP]

Your story is gut wrenching. God bless you.

[@paulabrown6840]

I loved hearing this daughters experience. 🦋

[@sagemaster3408]

Yeah because the mom was kinda confusing and jumping.

[@scooter39045]

These are really nice. It’s a great way to remember the people from that day.

[@MareRS357]

Wow what a traumatic experience. So sorry for your loss. ❤️🙏🏼

[@wandarask8444]

The daughter is a beautiful young lady, beautiful long dark hair and more. My apologies if I am off track ! I do hope you can find someone special, to talk too, your Dad's, mum sounds like a special lady, maybe you could find comfort, and wisdom from I'm sure. Your Dad is a real hero . Take care I wish you all the best .x Go mother-in-laws x

[@dianemitchell1717]

I feel so sorry for the daughter bc of her lack of emotion during her mother’s story. This is not normal to hold all the emotions down like she didn’t want to feel anything. I have heard that a lot of the children of 9-11 suffered from ptsd. Bless both these women.

[@sagemaster3408]

Yes. Sad

[@katelynbrown98]

She was problem really uncomfortable knowing she had to sit there and listen to mom tell the story about how her dad died. Especially one that she may have told and retold again and again. It's heartbreaking. You could be stuck in grief.

[@adams.1404]

Or let's maybe not diagnose strangers' mental conditions over the internet. She seems totally normal to me lol, just sitting and listening

[@californiahiker9616]

Who are you to judge somebody you don’t know and whose shoes you haven’t walked in? Think about how your statement affects other people. These people are pouring their hearts out, and all you can do is criticize.

[@packisbetter90]

I was in 5th grade and 11 years old that day. I lived in Indianapolis area but my school story was similar. I remember it was 75 80 degrees sunny there too and didn't go out for recess and I do remember some kids leaving even there. I never found out what was going on until I got home. They hid it really well

[@carlahays7724]

I live in Southern Illinois. Our son was in Kindergarten, and my husband had just dropped him off. He heard about the first plane on the radio as he was driving on to work, so he called me to turn on the tv. The second plane hit while I was watching. I called him, and screamed for him to go get our son. Of course, he thought that was silly, urging me to calm down. I did not immediately go pick him up, but did wait a couple hours, and just went and sat outside the school on a picnic table till they were dismissed. I was accompanied by several other moms, so I didn’t feel silly at all. 😞

[@blondieaguilar173]

My prayers to you & your family✝️

[@CandiceGoddard]

First to suffer the loss of so many friends and community and then for it to take the father and husband too? It's so much for the human heart to bear. It just goes to show how far reaching 9/11 was. How devastating in so many ways, big, small and long term. It's no wonder the entire world changed.

[@Littlescienceguy]

The story about the papers, and especially the $5k check, got me the most. I wonder who and which firm it belonged to. I always wondered about the fallout from the smoke and floating papers downwind.

[@ashleywells7796]

This story is so interesting.

[@sherryirbvin7448]

So tragic. So sorry for ur loss. May God bless and keep u.

[@NJBeachlover1]

God bless everyone 🙏

[@MK-kq1lm]

I like how you collected things, you seem like you got very curious as a little one. We were all kinda like that i think, but I know it means a lot more to you to investigate.

[@karenmbbaxter]

Not that it makes up for the loss of a parent but that the father got another 10 years of life before succumbing to a 9/11 created cancer is somewhat of a blessing.

[@cherylstaples1790]

These wonderful, heroic people were exposed to atomic radiation

[@LadyPercy.]

Some would say this account doesn't measure up against the more graphic and tragic stories available to hear on KZbin, but its simplicity is key to its importance. It's a very nit picky thing to say and perhaps I'm becoming too sensitive in my observation of 9/11 survivors, but I wondered why the daughter didn't comfort the Mom when she was crying ? I did wonder if she remembers more than her Mom thinks and was trying to hold it together.

[@cc-sb1is]

A little bit weird.

[@linedancer23]

The poor daughter sits there like she’s in La La Land! I hope she gets help.

[@localforearm1627]

@@linedancer23 i can fix her

[@linedancer23]

@@localforearm1627 LOL!

[@californiahiker9616]

Everybody is different and deals with grief in different ways. You have no idea what’s she’s been through and still is going through. Not everybody is demonstrative. They’re relating their stories. They are reliving their pain and all you can do is make negative comments. How comforting is that?!

[@MK-kq1lm]

My parents came and got me lol we were in Pacific MO no where near it. But I was scared, the teacher had it on the tv in class because they thought it was just a fire i guess. I remember her gasping all of a sudden and just staring at the tv with her hands over her mouth, all i seen was the smoke on tv. She was pregnant too, about to have a substitute cover her just a few weeks later. We were in kindergarden. Its actually pretty weird that's one of the only things I remember from kindergarden besides an outfit I got and graduation.

[@mtio2807]

The daughter looks scary

[@jefffrei4671]

Traumatic

[@superjeffstanton]

Silenced

[@sagemaster3408]

The teacher was empathetic? Huh

[@stevenweatherman7325]

The eldest daughter felt odd about the fact that they made a game out of collecting the falling burnt papers. She shouldn't feel bad. Play is one of the ways children deal with large traumatic events and big feelings. During the Middle Ages, during the Plague, is where we get the children's rhyme/game "Ring around the rosy/ pocket full of posies/ ashes, ashes, we all fall down."

[@BeverlyMurphy-ii2wp]

stevenweatherman. I find it a " bit " STRANGE that you would choose that particular Rime to use, not sure if your R trying to be FUNNY 😢 OR you R someone who " Lacks COMPASSION". NOT A SMART CHOICE OF WORDS. POCKET FULL OF ASHES YOU REALLY R AN ASS. BIG TIME ASS 🤬🤨🧐😳

[@BeverlyMurphy-ii2wp]

Rhyme We All Fall Down. What the HELL is the matter with you. Get some help to TRY & LEARN the meaning of COMPASSION How Very SAD that you would find ANY SEMBLANCE of Humor in this HORRIFIC ACT OF EVIL 9/11 💔 😥😢

[@cc-sb1is]

Yikes. This was a weird one. It is pretty cold to think "nothing is too wrong" after the knowledge that the 2nd tower had been hit, and not thinking it was a big deal until after the towers fell... I understand she was panicked with a "bunch of kids and no kitchen", but jfc, eNOUGH about the kitchen. Respect all those who died, even IF it was a "small plane" and "NBD", like she initially assessed. Peace be to all those who died because of this tragedy.

[@linedancer23]

Not liking this woman and her 15 minutes of fame she wanted.

[@VintageLPs]

This wife and mother was traumatized with fear of losing her husband added to caring for twins, a baby and her 8-yr. old daughter during the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. Add to that the smoke and papers from the collapsed towers flying through her neighborhood and all the men in the neighborhood either dead in the towers, injured or traumatized, she was inside a living nightmare. Not having a kitchen IS a big deal when she had no help and she is trying to hide her own exhaustion from her PTSD husband. I think she is deserves enormous respect for persevering and for telling her story. Her daughter suffered greatly during 9-11 and especially after worrying about her father. Please have empathy for what they endured and don’t be so harsh.

[@californiahiker9616]

@@linedancer23why do you feel you had to voice that nasty thought? Shame on you!

[@linedancer23]

@@californiahiker9616 As you can hopefully read......most of us feel the same way. This poor woman had issues before 9/11.

[@renem2257]

L u kim

[@SeattleMarinerMan]

All she did was talk about her self

[@jp1430]

This is supposed to be the story of her perspective of that day. She clearly cries and shows emotion when talking about others pain.

[@jefffrei4671]

I would to if I lost my spouse

[@sagemaster3408]

I’m sorry. But I think this lady shows signs of narcissism.

[@livelearn5045]

No, she doesn’t! The focus on the kitchen and house is exactly what happens when a person experiences trauma. Other elements of the day come into sharp focus. She also explained how bad it felt to complain about not having a kitchen months later due to the enormity of the events that autumn.

[@linedancer23]

The poor daughter looks like zombie. The mom is very annoying!

[@blankererer6944]

Glad you’re qualified to diagnose someone.

[@linedancer23]

The daughter doesn’t not even look like she could be her daughter. I think someone wanted her 15 minutes of fame. So sad….

[@garyhundsrucker7771]

Funny how Obama's thing was "Yes we can! " but now it's all about what we can't do and shouldn't do.I do whatever.

[@hardcorehunter9438]

Dang did papers really make it 42 miles away from the towers. That must be a typo

[@lynndeatherage3792]

RIP TO YOUR HUSBAND IN 911 2001.I AND MARIAN FONTAINA HUSBAND ALSO DIED IN THE TOWERS. HOPE YOUR DOING SINCE THEN. I WAS INJURED IN THE I-35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN AUGUST 1, 2001. CAPITAN NELSON SAW ME AT THE ST. PAUL CAPITOL AND HE TOLD ME THE NYC FD AND PD AS WELL AS NJFD PD TOLD THE GOPS GOVERNOR POLAWTY AND DOT IN MINNESOTA REFUSED TO LISTENING 👂 TO THE FACT THAT THE BRIDGE WAS IN GRADE F FOR THE DAMAGED BRIDGE WASNT BAD. DFLers LAWMAKERS WAS NOT A HAPPY WITH THE MINN DOT IN HIS OWN MIND THAT WAS ON HIS MIND AS IT DID OK BUT NOW IT FELL DOWN, MY NAME IS LYNN DEATHERAGE WHO WAS BADLY INJURED IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE I35W OF HIS ACTIONS BECAUSE OF HIS ACTIONS BECAUSE OF HIS LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR ACTIONS. THE TWO WEEKS BEFORE IT WENT DOWN BRIDGE COLLAPSE 8,1, 2007. AND TO HEAR THIS INFORMATION FROM MR NELSON WHO TOLD ME. MY FRIEND DIANE H. APT MANAGER DON SAW ME ON THE NEWS BEING CARRIED OUT BY A MPLS COP TO ME TO MEDIC RIG.