'Primetime' Revisits 9/11 Babies
Sept. 11 -- Primetime has turned its studio into a giant playpen twice since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, bringing together the women widowed by the attacks and their newborns. Now, the babies are toddlers, growing taller, stronger and louder. And their mothers are changing too — finding new homes, new jobs, and for some, new husbands.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Primetime met with women who lost their husbands on Sept. 11 and gave birth to their children in the months afterward. They came together in New York in June 2002 for a photograph to commemorate what for them has been a harrowing year, the joy of their babies' births tempered by the sorrow of their loss.
Sixty-one women ended up participating, with two sets of twins making a total of 63 babies — roughly half of the babies known to have been born to Sept. 11 widows. The group turned the elegant conservatory at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden into happy chaos, the younger babies crying and gurgling.
Another year has gone by, and it's been another year of baby steps. On this second anniversary, a number of the mothers decided to remain private. Instead of joining the Primetime reunion, they sent home videos to show how much their babies have grown.
Grief Eased by Children, New Beginnings
The gathering of the babies and their mothers was a happy sight, but the loss that unites their mothers, of course, was not. The women said going through their pregnancies alone made their grieving even harder. A year later, their grief has been eased somewhat by their children.
When Primetime first met Jenna Jacobs, she was a portrait of anguish. Her son, Gabi, was born just six days after his father, Ari, died at the World Trade Center.
In the past year, Jenna has begun a new chapter in her life. "I have a new house, I have a new boyfriend. He has a daughter. Things are completely different for me than they were two years ago. But I am still me," she said.
Related Stories
ABC News Live