Now adults, children of 9/11 draw inspiration from tragedy

NEW YORK  — They were kids, or not even born yet, when America's heart broke for them.

More than 3,000 children and young adults lost a parent in the deadliest terror attack on American soil. They instantly became known as the children of 9/11.

As the 15th anniversary of the attacks approaches, these children are now adults or nearly so. Their Sept. 11 legacy is now theirs to shape.

Many have been guided by a determination to honor the parent they lost or the awareness they so painfully gained.

And they have done it in ways as varied as working with refugees, studying the forces that led to the attacks or pursuing a parent's unrealized pro-sports dream.\

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