Genelle Guzman-McMillan began Sept. 11, 2001, at New York’s World Trade Center, expecting an ordinary day. Hours later, the North Tower collapsed during terrorist attacks, leaving her buried beneath debris with only one hand free. Buried for 27 hours in darkness, she was uncertain whether help would reach her. As her strength faded, she returned to the faith she had left, prayed for forgiveness and promised to devote her life to Christ if she survived.
As exhaustion deepened, she called for help. She recalled that a man named Paul answered her cries, held her hand and assured her that rescuers were coming. However, after she was freed, no rescue worker by that name was identified. She came to believe Paul was an angel sent to strengthen her when she felt abandoned.
She was pulled from the wreckage on Sept. 12 and became the last person rescued alive from the World Trade Center ruins. Several surgeries followed, while she carried scars and painful memories of colleagues who died. The description “last survivor” was bittersweet because it represented all those who never returned. Nevertheless, she came to view her rescue as both a second chance and a responsibility.
She began Bible study after her recovery and was baptized months later. She shared her experience in the memoir Angel in the Rubble, although she said revisiting the experience was heart-wrenching. Writing became part of her healing. She has since shared her testimony in churches, universities and to audiences worldwide. At a Walsh University event attended by more than 600 people, she recounted her transformation from a self-centered, secular life to one centered on Christ and service. She told the gathering, “We can only do everything with God. We can’t do it alone.” Through her book and appearances, she encourages those facing tragedy to rely on faith and choose hope over fear.
Her story reaches a wider audience in Robin Roberts Presents: Angel in the Rubble: The Genelle Guzman Story, a Lifetime film based on her memoir that premieres Sept. 12 and traces how the 9/11 ordeal led her back to God.
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