Help the Shermans with Their Mold Remediation and Recovery
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Help the Sherman Family Recover from Mold Illness and Make Their Home Livable & Safe
Adam and Christa Sherman need our help. As Christa shared recently on Facebook, their family has been experiencing “mystery” symptoms — Caleb had trouble swallowing, headaches, dizziness, breathing issues, and cognitive struggles. Christian has been getting migraines that are so bad that he vomits. Gunnar has had breathing issues and multiple bouts with croup, and the whole family has been getting sick in general. Caleb’s doctor ran labs and found that mold is impacting his body. Through initial testing, the Sherman family has discovered that their home has high levels of toxic black mold, and it's their home that is making them sick. They are currently living in temporary housing and will need a thorough inspection and remediation before they can live in their home again.
If you know my family, you likely know that this is our story as well. We had mold in our home and our children were very ill from it. I’m familiar with all that is involved with a mold remediation, and it’s extraordinarily costly when sick children are involved. We had to remediate our home twice - combined it cost over $200,000 out of pocket. The Sherman’s home—where they should feel safe—has made them sick, and their health and quality of life have been severely impacted. Insurance doesn’t cover the costs to fix their home or provide the medical care they desperately need to recover.
I’m asking for your help to raise $100,000. This goal will go toward the cost of mold inspection, remediation, rebuilding, replacing household items that have been contaminated by mold spores, and healthcare for Caleb and his siblings. Any donation—large or small—will help them get one step closer to recovery.
The Sherman family’s home is currently unlivable due to the high levels of mold. To make it safe again, they need a professional mold inspection and remediation process—both of which are extraordinarily expensive. Here's an estimated breakdown of the costs involved:
- Mold inspection: This can cost anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to $10,000+ depending on the number of areas that need testing. Given how pervasive mold can be, this is a crucial first step to understanding the full extent of the damage.
- Mold remediation: Once the inspection is done, they’ll need to hire a mold remediation company who understands how mold impacts the human body to safely remove the mold from their home. This can easily cost $50,000 or more, depending on the size of the home and the severity of the contamination.
- Rebuilding what was removed: once the remediation is done, they will need to rebuild the part of their home that were removed - walls, ceilings, windows, doors, bathrooms, floors… Until the inspection is done, there is no way to know what will need to be replaced.
- Replacing belongings: Mold spores contaminate everything that is porous - from mattresses, pillows, unfinished wood furniture, and couches to books, stuffed animals and toys, fans, and even small appliances like blow dryers or vacuums (the spores get pulled into the motor). The Shermans will need to replace a significant amount of their belongings to ensure their home is safe again.
- Medical treatments: Mold doctors, specialists who understand how mold affects the body, are typically not covered by insurance. The Shermans will need ongoing healthcare for Caleb and their other children, including doctor’s visits, lab tests, medications, and supplements to help detoxify their bodies from the mold. In our experience, this takes months, or even years, of consistency to see results.
I know firsthand how daunting it is to face these expenses— and although it’s been a long and difficult process, our kids are finally healthy again and able to live somewhat normal lives. I want the same for the Sherman family. They are doing everything they can to get their children better, but they need our help.
Why Mold Illness Is So Serious
Mold illness is not widely understood, and this is part of the reason why it’s so isolating and frustrating for families going through it. Unlike other medical conditions, mold illness doesn’t get the same attention or support. The physical symptoms are invisible (aka “you don’t look sick”), and people often don’t believe how sick it can make you. Children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies are still developing, and when they’re exposed to toxic mold, it can be crippling.
Mold can affect virtually every system in the body, from the respiratory system to the nervous system, to the digestive and immune systems. It can cause chronic fatigue, headaches, cognitive issues (like brain fog and memory problems), difficulty breathing, and even skin rashes. Dr. Jill Crista, a leading expert in mold-related illness, explains that mold can disrupt any part of the body, making it an incredibly challenging illness to treat.
I’m asking for your support to help the Sherman family repair their home, get the necessary medical treatment, and begin the process of healing. The goal is $100,000 to cover the cost of everything they need, from mold remediation to medical care.
No donation is too small. Every little bit helps, and together, we can make sure this family has a chance to recover and live in a safe, healthy home again.
Thank you so much for your support, your love, and your prayers. The Sherman family is so grateful to have you on this journey with them. Please share this campaign with your friends and family to help spread the word.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nichole Krueger
Organizer
Gladstone, MI
Christa Sherman
Beneficiary