The passage of twenty-five years has done little to dim the memory of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, a day that permanently altered the geopolitical landscape and left an indelible scar on the American psyche. As the nation marks a quarter-century since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93, the focus of remembrance inevitably shifts from geopolitical consequences to the deeply personal, enduring grief of the families left behind.
Among those families is Kayla Fallon Smith, who was just eight years old when her father, William Lawrence Fallon Jr., was killed at the World Trade Center. Fallon, a 38-year-old IT manager for the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, left behind a legacy of devotion to his family—and a final, haunting promise that would shape his daughter’s life and career. Today, at 33, Smith has channeled her lifelong grief into a therapeutic sanctuary, establishing a non-profit organization that utilizes equine-assisted therapy to heal the psychological wounds of military veterans, first responders, and their families.
Main Facts: The Legacy of William Lawrence Fallon Jr. and the Birth of "Trails of Purpose"
William Lawrence Fallon Jr. was one of the 658 employees of Cantor Fitzgerald who perished on September 11. The investment bank, which occupied floors 101 through 105 of the One World Trade Center (the North Tower), suffered the largest single-employer loss of life during the tragedy, losing more than two-thirds of its New York workforce.
Fallon was known by friends and family as a dedicated father who structured his daily life around his children. To ensure he could balance a demanding career in financial technology with active parenting, he commuted from his suburban home into Manhattan in the pre-dawn hours, allowing him to return home early enough to escort Kayla to her afternoon dance classes.
In the twenty-five years since his death, Kayla Fallon Smith has transformed her personal tragedy into a systemic effort to address trauma. As a licensed mental health counselor, Smith founded Trails of Purpose in 2019. Headquartered in Virginia, the non-profit organization provides free, specialized mental health counseling and equine-assisted psychotherapy to active-duty military service members, veterans, first responders, and their dependents. By integrating traditional psychotherapy with somatic, horse-centered interventions, Trails of Purpose addresses the complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury often experienced by those who serve on the front lines of national defense and emergency response.
Chronology: A Quarter-Century of Grief, Recovery, and Service
The Morning of September 11, 2001
- 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM: Following his standard routine, William Lawrence Fallon Jr. wakes up early to exercise at home before commuting into Manhattan. Before his daughters depart for school, he places his customary morning call to the family’s landline phone to wish them a good day and describe the view of the Manhattan skyline from the upper reaches of the World Trade Center.
- 8:46 AM: American Airlines Flight 11 strikes the North Tower of the World Trade Center, cutting off all escape routes from the floors above the impact zone, where Cantor Fitzgerald’s offices are located.
- Sometime after 8:46 AM: Fallon manages to place a final telephone call to his home. His wife answers. Fallon utters his final recorded words: "I’m getting out. I’m coming home." When his wife, confused by the statement, asks for clarification, he instructs her to "Turn on the news" before the line goes silent.
The Aftermath and Academic Journey (2001–2018)
- September 2001 – 2010: Kayla Smith navigates childhood and adolescence under the shadow of sudden, catastrophic loss. Despite access to abundant traditional trauma counseling resources provided to 9/11 victims’ families, she struggles to find a sense of cognitive peace.
- 2010–2018: Smith pursues higher education, ultimately enrolling in a graduate program in clinical mental health counseling. During her clinical training, she is introduced to equine-assisted therapy. The experiential, non-verbal modality resonates deeply with her own unresolved trauma, sparking an interest in utilizing the physiological sensitivity of horses to treat severe PTSD.
The Founding and Expansion of Trails of Purpose (2019–Present)
- 2019: Smith officially launches Trails of Purpose. The organization is designed to fill a critical gap in veterans’ and first responders’ healthcare, offering a quiet, non-clinical environment for trauma processing.
- 2020–2025: The organization scales its operations to meet the rising demand for mental health services among military personnel and emergency workers, particularly in the wake of prolonged deployments and pandemic-era first responder burnout.
- September 2026: On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Trails of Purpose celebrates a milestone of delivering over 30,000 hours of free clinical services, cementing William Fallon’s legacy of protection and service through his daughter’s work.
Supporting Data: The Impact of Cantor Fitzgerald’s Loss and the Science of Equine Therapy
Cantor Fitzgerald 9/11 Human Toll:
Total NY Employees: 960
Fatalities: 658 (68.5%)
Survivors: 302 (31.5%)The scale of the tragedy at Cantor Fitzgerald remains unprecedented in American corporate history. The loss of 658 lives left behind hundreds of widows and over 1,500 fatherless or motherless children, including Kayla Smith and her sister. The collective trauma experienced by these families catalyzed a generation of clinical research into childhood traumatic grief and long-term bereavement patterns.
The Clinical Efficacy of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
To address the trauma of veterans and first responders, Smith’s organization relies on Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, a modality supported by a growing body of neuropsychological research.
- Limbic Regulation: Horses are prey animals with highly developed nervous systems that are exquisitely sensitive to the physiological states of those around them. When a veteran with hyperarousal or PTSD approaches a horse, the animal mirrors the human’s heart rate and muscle tension. To successfully interact with the horse, the patient must consciously regulate their own autonomic nervous system, practicing biofeedback in real-time.
- Non-Verbal Processing: Traditional talk therapy can sometimes re-traumatize patients or fail to penetrate deep-seated somatic trauma. EAP allows clients to project internal conflicts onto the horses and engage in metaphor-based processing, which bypasses the cognitive defenses often associated with severe trauma.
- Somatic Safety: "I needed a place to just be when my brain always felt on fire," Smith noted, describing her own experience with trauma. "The horses, and the connection that they have when words don’t seem to come, the horses can just be with you."
Official Responses: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in Service Communities
The creation of grassroots organizations like Trails of Purpose highlights a persistent challenge within federal and state-level healthcare systems: the difficulty of providing timely, effective, and culturally competent mental health care to veterans and first responders.
The Federal Response to Veteran Mental Health
While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has significantly expanded its mental health budget over the last two decades, access barriers, bureaucratic delays, and the clinical stigma associated with traditional psychiatric facilities continue to deter many service members from seeking help. The VA has increasingly recognized the value of complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches, including equine therapy, though funding for these programs often relies heavily on private philanthropic organizations and local non-profits.
The First Responder Mental Health Crisis
Unlike military veterans, municipal first responders—including police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians—often lack a centralized, federal healthcare network dedicated to trauma recovery. According to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), first responders experience significantly higher rates of depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation than the general public. Grassroots initiatives like Trails of Purpose have stepped into this regulatory and financial vacuum, offering confidential, cost-free services that bypass the institutional hurdles and professional stigma often found within municipal departments.
Implications: Post-Traumatic Growth and the "September 12th" Philosophy
The trajectory of Kayla Fallon Smith’s life from a grieving eight-year-old to the founder of a vital mental health resource illustrates the psychological concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG). Coined by psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun in the mid-1990s, PTG refers to the positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity and highly challenging life circumstances. It does not signify an absence of grief; rather, it represents the reconstruction of a meaningful life through service, altruism, and community building.
"Every year, grief is different. It doesn’t go away," Smith reflected. "It’s a myth when people say that time heals all wounds; it doesn’t."
The Five Domains of Post-Traumatic Growth:
1. Personal Strength: Finding inner resilience through survived adversity.
2. New Possibilities: Developing new life paths and purpose (e.g., Trails of Purpose).
3. Improved Relationships: Deepening connections with others who suffer.
4. Appreciation for Life: A fundamental shift in values and daily gratitude.
5. Spiritual/Philosophical Development: Finding meaning in existential suffering.As the nation reflects on twenty-five years of post-9/11 history—marked by two decades of foreign wars, domestic polarization, and shifting security paradigms—Smith’s work points toward a simpler, more unifying lesson for future generations.
"If we can remember the feeling that we had on September 12th, I think that would be my biggest point of education for the next generation," Smith said.
The "September 12th" philosophy refers to the brief window of profound national unity, mutual aid, and shared humanity that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. By dedicating her life to healing the very individuals who protect and serve the nation, Smith ensures that her father’s final words—"I’m coming home"—find their ultimate resolution in the safe harbor she has built for thousands of others seeking their own way back from trauma.
