Rich Volpe, a 34-year-old NYPD detective, received a diagnosis of a rare kidney disease linked to 9/11 that impacted his fertility and threatened his life.
The condition—IgA nephropathy—was believed to be caused by exposure to toxic dust after the terrorist attacks on September 11th. It led to his retirement from the force in 2004, shattering his dreams of a family and a career.
In 2013, on the day he learned his kidneys were failing, he proposed to his then-fiancée.
“I tried to give her an escape, saying, ‘Angela, you’re young. You don’t have to deal with this,'” he recounted. “But she looked at me and said, ‘I love you, and I’m with you, no matter what.'”
The couple’s bond saw them through some of their toughest times.
The story of Volpe, a heroic officer, sheds light on a pressing need for kidney donations. His transplant saved him from dialysis, which is typically life-shortening.
This gift has kept him alive so far.
After the transplant, the couple had to wait a year to try for children, navigating the challenges of medications that could lead to infertility or birth defects.
Fortunately, they were blessed with their daughter Gianna in 2014, followed by another daughter, Sofia, three years later.
“To me, she was a miracle,” Volpe remarked about Gianna.
“My daughter just adores him,” Angela shared, mentioning how present Volpe is in their daughters’ lives, attending all their activities.
Now 58, Volpe manages a complex regimen of medication for his kidney and other health issues related to 9/11. He understands that transplanted kidneys generally last about 20 years, and he worries he may soon face another transplant.
“I want to see my girls get married,” he expressed softly. “That would mean the world to me.”
His situation is complicated by the lack of recognition of IgA nephropathy as a 9/11-related health issue under the Zadroga Health and Compensation Act.
Research has identified 24 cases of this rare kidney disease among first responders.
Ben Chevat, the executive director of 9/11 Health Watch, noted the urgency of addressing this concern.
Dr. Alan Coffino, Volpe’s former kidney specialist, supported the notion that respiratory toxins could be contributing factors.
Volpe and two other former police officers, Robert Joseph Martin and John Muldoon, were all diagnosed with the same rare kidney condition and underwent transplants within months of each other.
“It’s hard to ignore the pattern. Three officers need a transplant just years after 9/11,” Martin remarked.
Investigations into these unusual kidney disease clusters began at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2018, involving three retired officers, but no findings have been published yet. The spokesperson for the school could not provide clarity on the delay.
“We’re left without answers. It’s incredibly frustrating,” Martin, who has had to undergo multiple transplants, lamented. His wife even donated a kidney in 2019.
Muldoon, who had three children before the events of 9/11, welcomed another son in 2004, and in 2014, received a kidney from his brother during a critical health crisis.
“I’m looking forward to being a grandfather soon. I’m grateful,” he told reporters. “Other people have endured so much worse than we have.”
