[0:00]Among the thousands who lost their lives on 9/11 was a man named Fred Cox. He worked in one of the Twin Towers. We met his mother about a year after the attack. Now, 20 years later, we talked to her again to see how she is honoring her son's memory while helping others. WSCV News 3's Ben Katco has her story. Fred lived every day like it was the last day of his life. Ann Douglas's son Fred Cox went to work in one of the World Trade Center towers on a beautiful September morning in Manhattan. That day was September 11th, 2001. Two separate planes have hit the World Trade Center. We are not certain why that has happened, but it has happened. You can see the flames. I can tell you, a mother knows when their child is not on the earth and I knew that Freddy was there. At just 27 years old and full of life, Freddy, as his mother calls him, had a whole life ahead of him, a life with a bold and bright future, cut woefully short. He had brought in the largest sale of the year. They called him a rising star. He had the sweetheart he was going to marry. Freddy knew what was important. We first met Ann Douglas one year after the attacks. She splits her time between Jessup and New Hampshire. I've tried to do what I love and love what I do. Since then, a lot has happened in the 20 years after Freddy's death, including three very special phone calls, each time bringing more of Freddy back home. We have the remains to honor our son. This this is what we have of Freddy here that our family is so grateful to have. Many families don't have anything. In the years after losing her son, Ann has devoted some of her time and energy to improving students' lives through education and a foundation in Freddy's name. She's also brought a personal story to life through a book called Freddy and Flossie Flutterby. We continue to make a big effort to take the gifts that we have and try to make this world a better place. And this is how our family's gotten through it. As Ann and her family remember this landmark anniversary of 9/11, they're celebrating Freddy's life this year at home in New Hampshire, a place he loved dearly. They're celebrating the life of a son and a brother, loved immensely and never forgotten. Freddy had a hammock up here at New Hampshire and he hung over it. Do what you love, love what you do. And he said that is our purpose on earth. So that's what we've done.
[2:49]To this day, Anne has not seen the video of the attack that killed her son. Instead, she's working to give away 5,000 of the books about Freddy and the Flutterby. Two students near St. Mary's, you can see more personal stories ahead of tomorrow's anniversary at WSAW.com/remembering911.
