
Help the Hodge's for a Healthy Home
Donation protected
All of us have experienced some sort of hardship in our lives, and generally we pull through them with our faith, help from others, or simply just with time. My step sister Kelly, who is a single mother, and her two children, Lola and Charlie, are currently going through a hardship that most of us could never even imagine.
They discovered a few weeks ago that their house was inundated with mold and black mold. The mold was initially discovered by an HVAC specialist who was hired because Kelly and her Dad noticed what she thought was likely mold on the vents throughout the home. The specialist suspected that there was likely a lot more going on than just problems with the ventilation and recommended she call a mold remediation specialist ASAP. With his advise, and a lot of panic, she urgently found one the following day to come find the source.
Much to her surprise, not only was it in the ventilation system, but it was on all three levels of their home. Their sump pump overflowed in the finished basement from heavy periods of rain we had last year. Kelly assumed that the removal of the water and the use of dehumidifiers and fans was sufficient enough, she didn't consider the possibility of the mold forming underneath the laminate flooring. They also had some plumbing issues in the past that caused water to leak on the main and second floor that resulted in black mold to form throughout the walls, under the flooring, and in both bathrooms. Not only did the plumbing issues cause mold, but a previously leaky roof and old gutters and soffits exposed the home to more water that generated additional black mold to form. Oh, and I can't forget to mention that a couple woodpeckers drilled holes in the old siding that is currently on their house, subjecting it to even more water.
Kelly quickly realized that after the findings of the mold, that this was the reason for Charlie and Lola's health decline over the last few months. Both have had countless respiratory infections, that also caused Lola to get pneumonia. Lola was recently diagnosed with shingles as well. The mold was not the direct cause of the shingles. Being unwell, displaced from her home, and losing most of her personal items, most definitely caused her enough stress that her immune system was too weak to fight the virus off.
Lola and Charlie have been staying with grandparents the last few weeks while Kelly empties the contents of their home in a dumpster and the remediation specialists do their work.
The expenses just for the mold remediation alone is $10,000. Unfortunately, insurance would only cover a very minimal amount and it isn't worth making the claim and paying the deductible.
The mold remediation is just the beginning of the expenses. Kelly has already spent several hundred dollars on the testing for the mold, a big dumpster to throw everything away in, including most of their furniture, and over 50 plastic bins for what belongings could be saved to go in to.
The remediation will finally be completed soon and before anything, Kelly needs to have these repairs made to prevent new mold from forming; new windows in basement, new gutters and soffits, existing plumbing installed correctly, and landscaping to fix the yard slopping issues.
Once the Hodge house is livable again, new drywall, flooring, and bathrooms need to be installed. Kelly will also need to purchase new mattresses, couches, and many more items they've lost because of this toxic mold. Please help the Hodge family with a donation they very much are in need of. I also ask for you to pray for the them as they go through this difficult period. God's blessings to you all!
They discovered a few weeks ago that their house was inundated with mold and black mold. The mold was initially discovered by an HVAC specialist who was hired because Kelly and her Dad noticed what she thought was likely mold on the vents throughout the home. The specialist suspected that there was likely a lot more going on than just problems with the ventilation and recommended she call a mold remediation specialist ASAP. With his advise, and a lot of panic, she urgently found one the following day to come find the source.
Much to her surprise, not only was it in the ventilation system, but it was on all three levels of their home. Their sump pump overflowed in the finished basement from heavy periods of rain we had last year. Kelly assumed that the removal of the water and the use of dehumidifiers and fans was sufficient enough, she didn't consider the possibility of the mold forming underneath the laminate flooring. They also had some plumbing issues in the past that caused water to leak on the main and second floor that resulted in black mold to form throughout the walls, under the flooring, and in both bathrooms. Not only did the plumbing issues cause mold, but a previously leaky roof and old gutters and soffits exposed the home to more water that generated additional black mold to form. Oh, and I can't forget to mention that a couple woodpeckers drilled holes in the old siding that is currently on their house, subjecting it to even more water.
Kelly quickly realized that after the findings of the mold, that this was the reason for Charlie and Lola's health decline over the last few months. Both have had countless respiratory infections, that also caused Lola to get pneumonia. Lola was recently diagnosed with shingles as well. The mold was not the direct cause of the shingles. Being unwell, displaced from her home, and losing most of her personal items, most definitely caused her enough stress that her immune system was too weak to fight the virus off.
Lola and Charlie have been staying with grandparents the last few weeks while Kelly empties the contents of their home in a dumpster and the remediation specialists do their work.
The expenses just for the mold remediation alone is $10,000. Unfortunately, insurance would only cover a very minimal amount and it isn't worth making the claim and paying the deductible.
The mold remediation is just the beginning of the expenses. Kelly has already spent several hundred dollars on the testing for the mold, a big dumpster to throw everything away in, including most of their furniture, and over 50 plastic bins for what belongings could be saved to go in to.
The remediation will finally be completed soon and before anything, Kelly needs to have these repairs made to prevent new mold from forming; new windows in basement, new gutters and soffits, existing plumbing installed correctly, and landscaping to fix the yard slopping issues.
Once the Hodge house is livable again, new drywall, flooring, and bathrooms need to be installed. Kelly will also need to purchase new mattresses, couches, and many more items they've lost because of this toxic mold. Please help the Hodge family with a donation they very much are in need of. I also ask for you to pray for the them as they go through this difficult period. God's blessings to you all!
Organizer and beneficiary
Jamelle Johnson
Organizer
Saint Charles, MO
Kelly Hodge
Beneficiary