Burton Rally for Health & Home

As many of you know, the Burton Family's health has been dramatically deteriorating over the past 18 months. Yes, ALL 5 members of the family.  And for the most part, they would be considered a "typical healthy family" before this time.  


 
It was discovered approximately 5 weeks ago, that the new-build home the Burton's purchased and moved into in February of 2013 has several forms of toxic black mold, among many other issues related to very poor workmanship during the building process. There is still much investigating to be done, but so far there has been mold found throughout the entire house...mold behind the walls in the wet areas and even mold circulating in the air (all confirmed with professional inspections, analysis and reports). It also appears that the fresh air ventilation system the builder placed in the home was never hooked up or was faulty which is a necessary component of any energy star certified home in order to have an adequate living environment. Their home has gotten to be so toxic over the past 2 years that one could consider it to be a "sick building".  The under-ventilation of the home & poor construction has likely caused a build-up of moisture (leading to mold) and pollutants to scatter and remain throughout their home. As the months passed, the air in the home became worse and worse without the family ever even realizing it. Upon discovering this, they packed up a few items and immediately left. They spent 2 weeks at a rental home which was simply too expensive for them to keep doing while having to maintain payments to their mortgage and other bills. So they reached out and have been living between 3 generous families. Clearly this cannot be kept up due to cramped quarters and their current medical needs. The Burton's are essentially homeless at this time and in seeking legal advice, have been told the journey of fixing their sick home could last anywhere from 6 to 12+ months.  They will need to find temporary housing ASAP until they can move back into their home.

Just the beginning of the black mold growth...

Normal Mold Sample vs. Test from the Burton's House


Since moving into their home 2.5 years ago, they've endured many health set backs. The eldest child, Noah, kept getting sicker and sicker and was finally diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disorder that comes along with a diagnosis of over 20 food & environmental allergies.  He's had to undergo 5 endoscopies with biopsies in less than a year. He went from being on zero daily medications to having to take 5 medications just to make it through the day. Their middle child, Felicity, having the strongest immune system of them all, has conquered pneumonia, multiple bouts of strep, sinus infections, headaches and various rashes with no apparent cause at the time. The youngest child, Liam, whom has been living in their house his entire life, has been ill since he was 2 months old.  He was on antibiotics for 8 months due to chronic infections and finally underwent surgery at 11 months old in hopes of relieving symptoms. It hasn't helped. He's 20 months old now and is considered speech-delayed with neurological and sensory issues.  He's also under the care of an allergist for chronic rashes and allergies. Brent (dad) has coped with chronic sinus infections, strep, rashes and extreme fatigue. Erica (mom) has endured numerous infections, a tissue graft, multiple biopsies (which her body still has not healed from), and most recently has had to visit the ER several times due to episodes of hives and anaphylaxis from unknown causes.  She also discovered a lump in her breast about 3 months ago and is now under the care of a surgical oncologist for this mysterious lump, which thus far has been deemed "inconclusive". Due to mom's illness and repeated illnesses of her children, she had to take leave from her job and has been without pay for almost 2 years now. The family has had to rely on the sole income of Dad (a Veteran that takes care of veterans), whom has now temporarily had to take a leave from his job at the VA Hospital to assist with caring for the family and coordinate the process of fixing the home. Because of their allergies, deteriorating immune systems and illnesses, their food costs have also doubled over the past 2 years due to having to shop at specialty stores and having to buy mostly organic food. Their medical bills have finally caught up to them and continue to rise.

Since being out of their home the past 5 weeks, they've already begun to notice improvements in their health; even little Liam has started saying words! He's gone from constant fussiness and crying, to running around like a typical toddler with a huge smile!

Noah's 5th Biopsy & Encoscopy in the past 12 Months


Liam's Surgery at 11 Months Old


This GoFundMe has been set up to support Brent & Erica and their 3 children to assist with medical bills, temporary housing and for repairs to make their home livable again. Our goal is to raise enough money to cover loss of income, additional living expenses and for repairs that this family must endure.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!