Millions grieve Barbaro; few notice Cesar Borja
Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his breakdown at last year’s Preakness. It was eight months ago that Barbaro broke his leg in the event, and the horse had undergone multiple procedures to try to get him back to health.
Following the incident, there was an outpouring of support for the bay colt, as fans across the United States donated money, sent cards and other trinkets to the talented horse, which would have made astounding sums of money for its owners in the breeding game had he survived.
“This horse was a hero,” David Switzer, executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, told the Associated Press. “His owners went above and beyond the call of duty to save this horse. It’s an unfortunate situation, but I think they did the right thing in putting him down.”
While millions were touched by Barbaro’s plight and feel a sense of grief at the loss of a horse that, for all intents and purposes should have been put down that day at the Preakness, few know or seemingly could care less about the death of Cesar Borja.
Borja, a World Trade Center first responder on Sept. 11, died of pulmonary fibrosis, an illness his family says he developed after breathing in toxins while working at the WTC site.
“We’re just trying to show support for the family and hoping that when people see what’s going on maybe funding will come, because there are a lot of people who don’t have the opportunity to be in the position to get the medication and treatment that they need,” retired FDNY Lieutenant Tom Carlstrom told NY1. “I can’t understand how the federal government and the city government can just ignore the whole thing. I think it’s very difficult.”
Borja, like so many others during these turbulent times, died trying to do what he could to help New York, and the nation as a whole. Yet his plight is virtually ignored. His main error, it appears, was not being born a horse.
–WKW