John Feal ( born 1966 or 1967 ) is an American political activist and retired construction worker known for his advocacy on behalf of first responders to the September 11 attacks . In 2001 , Feal was a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero when a falling steel beam landed on his foot . He developed gangrene , then sepsis , and eventually required partial amputation . As Feal 's injury occurred just outside of a 96-hour window following the attack , he was denied compensation for the injury . The denial led to him becoming an advocate for 9/11 first responders . Feal founded the FealGood Foundation , dedicated toward lobbying members of the U.S. Congress to provide additional funding to 9/11 responders , as well as connecting responders with various resources . In 2019 , Feal worked closely with comedian and fellow advocate Jon Stewart to lobby Congress for the renewal of a 9/11 victim 's compensation fund . After Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee opposed motion for unanimous consent of the renewal , Feal and Stewart appeared in a viral segment on Fox News lambasting the Senators
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
John Feal