Many people run to improve their own health but, in November, Olive Taylor, 42, of Jackson NJ, ran the New York City Marathon for the health of the 40,000 9/11 rescue workers and others who worked at Ground Zero in the days following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Taylor ran to spread the word that every worker needs to have a simple Pulmonary Function Test that may detect lung problems long before symptoms surface.

Taylor’s run in the Marathon was very personal. Her family friend, Mark DeBiase, was the fourth person to die from a deadly lung ailment following exposure to dangerous toxins at the World Trade Center site. As a telecommunications specialist he went to Ground Zero to maintain communications as a part of the recovery efforts. Four years later, in Dec. 2005, he fell ill. His health rapidly deteriorated and he passed away in April 2006, leaving behind a wife and three children. “Mark was larger than life itself and so full of energy. It is a horrible tragedy that just a few days of working at Ground Zero and at the Fresh Kills landfill took his life,” said Taylor.

“I could not stand idly by while this fatal nightmare continuously seeks to claim the lives of others when there is a simple test that could help save lives.”

So, she decided to run this marathon, her third, with a purpose. On those mornings when a 22-mile training run seems too daunting, motivation to spread the word and help save lives keeps Taylor going. Her message is simple: Get the test.

To make it even easier, the $3,000 in pledges that she raised for the Marathon was donated to Deborah Hospital Foundation to pay for lung testing at Deborah Heart and Lung Center, where DeBiase was treated for lung ailments before he died from respiratory complications after working at Ground Zero. Deborah has administered this test to several 9/11 rescue workers.

“After hearing about the great care that Mark received at Deborah, I thought that it would be fitting to help others get tested in his honor,” Taylor added.


Deborah’s Dr. David Murphy (left) and Foundation Regional Director Ellen Krivchenia (right) thank Taylor and her mom for Olive’s commitment to the health and well-being of all those who worked at Ground Zero.

“The Pulmonary Function Test is a simple procedure to detect deterioration in the lung’s ventilatory capacity by having the patient forcibly breathe in and out of a hand-held tube,” said Dr. David Murphy, Chair of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Deborah. “It can track changes even before symptoms arise, and is crucial to providing an accurate measurement of lung function especially for those onsite responders.” Murphy, who treated DiBiase and other responders added, “We encourage workers to be evaluated at least once a year.