Triumph out of tragedy

Positive legacy of 9/11 victims emphasized on anniversary

BOSTON. Six years has not erased the sting of 9/11, but through grief and sadness many locals have gleaned positives from the tragic day.

Such was the theme yesterday at the State House, where elected officials joined family members of those lost on 9/11 to commemorate the victims and the spirit they left behind.

“Sometimes in the most painful and tragic times in our lives we can reach for something good,” Lt. Gov. Tim Murray told a packed House Chamber, where family members were shown a touching video tribute to the fallen, and graced with stories of triumph through tragedy.

Karen Jenkins told perhaps the most poignant of those stories. Her son, born in June 2005 with a rare heart defect, endured two open heart surgeries and multiple hospital visits in his infancy.

The Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation, named for former Boston Bruin and 9/11 victim Garnet “Ace” Bailey, helped Jenkins’ family cope and her son recover.

“The Ace Bailey Foundation turned the 9/11 tragedy into a blessing,” said Jenkins, whose son was released from the hospital in July, but still calls out daily for visits to Ace’s Place, a playroom at the Floating Hospital for Children.

Diane Hunt, of Kingston, whose son was killed while at work in the south tower of the World Trade Center, served as master of ceremonies, providing families someone “not to speak to you, but to speak for you.”

She said more than $10 million has been raised by nearly 200 foundations, funds and other ventures in the name of local 9/11 victims.

“To our loved ones, we love and miss you,” Hunt said through tears. “We remember you today by trying to give back to your communities in your name.”