9/11 Firefighter's Daughter Says Helping Kids Is How She Honors Her ‘Father’s Legacy’ — and Heals (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

FDNY Lt. Joseph Leavey and daughter Cait.Photo:Courtesy of Cait Leavey

Courtesy of Cait Leavey

Cait Leavey, 33, is an AmeriCorps alum and the daughter of Lt. Joseph Leavey, a member of the New York City fire department who died while responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In this personal essay for PEOPLEon the 23rd anniversary of 9/11,  Leavey discusses why she is committed to carrying out her father’s legacy of service and encourages others to do the same.

I still remember the way my father would dance me around the living room while I balanced on his toes. Like a lot of kids, I believed that my dad was a hero — not because of his job as a firefighter and not because of any achievement or recognition — but because he was my dad. He made 10-year-old Cait feel special, important, protected, and like he wouldn’t let anything in the world get in my way.

As an adult, I feel like I can see him more clearly, even though his life ended when I was in fifth grade. OnSeptember 11, 2001, my dad’s company, under his leadership, was one of the first fire companies on the scene in Manhattan.

They reached the impact zone on the 78thfloor of the South Tower and were instrumental in ushering a large number of people to safety. That day, he and so many others made the ultimate sacrifice and demonstrated unparalleled bravery and heroic strength. But he didn’t become a firefighter so that he could become a national hero.

Just like firefighters and first responders everywhere, he cared deeply about his community and the people in it. He always asked friends and strangers alike how they were doing, looked out for people in our small town of Pelham who needed a hand, and never turned down the chance to play and laugh with me and my friends.

In the 23 years since the day my dad didn’t pick me up from school, I’ve wrestled with the best way to heal my loss and honor his memory. Time and again, I return to his example as a public servant. I served two terms as anAmeriCorpsmember withTeach for America, which helped me launch my career as an educator.

The Leavey family.Courtesy of Cait Leavey

I went on to teach pre-k in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan before becoming a mental health counselor, with a specialization in trauma and how it affects children and adults. These days, I spend my time supporting first responder and military families, and especially children who have lost parents and children in the foster care system throughYou Gotta Believe.

My father’s legacy is alive in all that I do. Every day, I try to channel his ability to make today’s kids feel special, important, and like nothing can stand in their way — just like he did for me.

Service has been my salve and my refuge. We have collectively witnessed many tragedies as a world over the past couple decades, and my personal grief remains with me after all this time.

But no matter how dark a day has been, I’ve found that taking action, inspiring joy, and lending a helping hand have always brightened the horizon. Service is an almost magical act that allows you to transform pain and anguish into strength and community.

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Joseph Leavey.Courtesy of Cait Leavey

Cait Leavey.Courtesy of Cait Leavey

source: people.com