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American Morning

America's New War: Many Families Sense of Hope Mixed with Real Dose of Reality

Aired September 19, 2001 - 10:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: I just wanted to quickly mention a point that we have learned from the state of New York, from Governor Pataki's office. There's -- as I know a lot of you concerned about the young children who have lost parents in this dreadful attack here, and the governor's office is saying that there will be fund set aside, to educate these children, send them to college, a commitment to four years I believe in state institution, and one account puts the total value of that at some $47,000. And as you can see, everybody doing what they can to help out these families that are in a terrible state of limbo.

And Brian Palmer, one of our correspondents, caught up with one of the families who's sense of hope also very much mixed with real dose of reality.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Days after the World Trade Center attack, Anne Wodenshek held out hope her husband Christopher would be found alive. He worked on the 105th floor.

ANNE WODENSHEK, HUSBAND MISSING: Maybe he's wandering around the city somewhere in a daze, or he's in a hospital somewhere, and he's unconscious and they don't know where he is, or he's trapped in a hole down there somewhere, maybe surviving, I don't know.

PALMER: But days later, hope fades, even for this strong mother of five.

WODENSHEK: The children are devastated. They keep asking every night, where's daddy? Well, mommy, we watched "Castaway," the guy came back after four years, so maybe daddy will come back. I said, I don't think so, Hayley (ph), I don't think so.

PALMER: And the demands of daily life, like paying the bills, intrude.

WODENSHEK: The benefits for our health insurance are paid through the end of the month, and after that I have Cobirth (ph), and after that, I'm on my own, and there's no more paycheck.

PALMER: So Wodenshek is filing a life-insurance claim. Usually, life-insurance companies require a death certificate to pay a claim, proof that remains have been recovered, but that can take months.

Hans Ephraimson and others lost loved ones in plane crashes. He's seen victims' families endure emotional and financial loss.

HANS EPHRAIMSON, FATHER OF AIR ATTACK VICTIM: Some of them had to got to for bankruptcy, and some of them lost their houses, and condos and cars.

PALMER: But many insurance companies are changing their rules, in this case.

HERB PERONE, AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LIFE INSURERS: All of the life insurance companies, and we are talking to them all, are saying the war exclusion, terrorist exclusions, do not apply here.

PALMER: Insurers say they're waiving the requirement for death certificates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can only tell you if they're on the list, they were in the building, we know that someone is missing as a result of this disaster, we're going to expedite the payment of that claim.

PALMER: Anne Wodenshek says she isn't worrying too much about the bills.

WODENSHEK: I think I'm financially secure, but there's such a hole in our life and our future, that I don't think it will never be normal again. At least, I'll never be normal again.

PALMER: In this, she is not alone.

Brian Palmer, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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