Minnesotan who was supposed to be on hijacked plane remembers 9/11

24 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks

It has been 24 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. FOX 9's Maury Glover talks with one woman who was supposed to be on one of the planes.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A former United Airlines flight attendant says a twist of fate kept her from becoming one of the victims of 9/11.

‘An interesting mix of emotions’

What we know:

For many Americans, 9/11 is a day they will never forget.

But even 24 years later, the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, hits Kerry D'Amato harder than most.

"I wake up feeling grateful and present, and I am here, and I am alive and then there is a deep sadness that comes with that," said D' Amato.

‘It’s important to remember'

The backstory:

D'Amato was working as a flight attendant for United Airlines out of JFK Airport the day two commercial airliners hit the twin towers at the World Trade Center.

She says she would have been on one of those planes, flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, but she had traded her trips with another flight attendant a week or so before so she could have the month off to get ready for her wedding, a fact that left her with survivor's guilt after that fateful day.

"Because I knew the person who traded into my trip and I know because I was getting married that month and traded out of them I wasn't there and he was," said D'Amato.

D'Amato says at first, she considered calling off her walk down the aisle, which was scheduled for Sept. 15, but after hearing from friends and family, she decided to move forward with her nuptials.

"Because I was so close to maybe losing my life, I say yes to every opportunity I can get that's going to help me live my life to the fullest," said D'Amato.