'Long Island Medium' Theresa Caputo Defended by 9/11 Victim's Family Member Following Backlash Over Special

09/09/2021 04:24 pm EDT

The daughter of a 9/11 victim defended Long Island Medium star Theresa Caputo's special featuring her and other family members who lost loved ones during the terrorist attack. The special, Long Island Medium: In Memory of 9/11, was widely criticized when it was first announced in August, with many on social media accusing TLC and Caputo of capitalizing on the grief of family members. However, New Jersey resident Noelle Borders, whose mother died from 9/11-related stomach cancer, said her reading with Caputo gave her some closure.

"Just knowing that [my mother] never left me, she's always with me, it just gave me peace," Borders told Page Six Wednesday, the day before the special airs on TLC. "To know that she's happy and back to her regular self just put me at ease." Borders, 28, is the daughter of Macy Borders, who became known as the "Dust Lady" due to a widely-circulated photo showing her covered in dust in the World Trade Center's North Tower.

Macy survived the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but died at age 42 in 2015 from stomach cancer. She struggled with depression and addiction in the years after the attack. She overcame her struggles and entered rehab after Osama bin Laden's death. Borders said it felt good to know her mother was still doing well. "It felt like closure, just making sure that my loved one was okay," she told Page Six after her reading.

Caputo defended her special in an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com earlier this week. She asserts it was an "amazing" experience to help victims' families find peace, especially with Macy's daughter. "Never in a million years would I think or fathom that her daughter would be sitting in front of me. And the way that she came through and acknowledged it, I still get chills thinking about it," she told us. "Mind-blowing."

When it came to the criticism of the special, Caputo said there are "a lot of misconceptions in general about the world, and more importantly, myself and my gift." She noted that no one has to believe in what she does, but added, "I want them to believe in an afterlife, to know that all the things that go on around them is their loved ones reaching out and letting them know that that soul bond can never and will never be broken."

The special also highlights how everyone heals from tragedy in different ways. "And after 20 years, the healing that still needed to take place," she told PopCulture. "Honestly, I was taken aback by some of it and the validations and the beauty that Spirit was able to give to validate that, even over 20 years and a lot of the people that I did reconnect with, their loved ones died when they were children. The fact that their loved ones came through and validated all the things that have happened, all their milestones over the past 20 years, what a beautiful gift." Long Island Medium: In Memory of 9/11 airs on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on TLC and is available to stream on Discovery+.

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