- C
Summary:
- We are living in an owned home with multiple molds types; two of which are toxic
- We have been experiencing worsening health conditions for the past two years
- Mold testing for both our home and bodies is expensive
- Remediation will be extensive, taking out multiple walls, replacing the entire HVAC system, removing flooring, etc.
- Rebuild will be both expensive and extensive including replacing both a tub and shower, walls, flooring, and likely cabinets
- We will need to live elsewhere for 3-4 months while remediation and renovation are happening
- We will need to discard almost all of our furniture, including our beds, frames, and my spouse's clothes and books.
- We are both disabled, and I (El) have lost work in my field as an arts instructor because of my inconsistent ability to drive, create, carry, and facilitate on my feet. We also can no longer handle vending at multiple markets, which has been my other income
- Our individual health problems beyond the mold have been and will continue to be expensive to diagnose and treat
- Because of our disabilities, we are also relying on community members for helping us move our belongings either to storage or a dump
- We are hoping to raise enough funds to not go further into debt than we already are between our home and health issues
Story:
We are a lovingly married couple who have been living in a recently purchased home for the past two years. Which is significant, as we carry multiple marginalizations that makes finding and retaining safe and stable housing difficult.
We have had visible bacteria for these two years that indicated underlying mold that became even more prominent after A/C water damage. We are working on insurance and will not give further information about our financial decisions and circumstances than what is shared here.
Because of this, our A/C ducts have also been compromised with a species of black mold that has been blowing throughout our home, contributing to ear aches, increased chronic fatigue, respiratory issues, additional mental health issues, and potentially my own vascular system problems and chronic inflammation.
Because of this inflammation along with other bodily battles, I have been unable to work in contracted roles that I have relied on to contribute to bills and emergencies such as my own medical ails, much less this household horror.
I have also been unable to work as a local vendor, since our conjoined health issues have made it impossible to set up or break down a whole booth on our own.
We have had our home inspected thoroughly and found out that two of the prominent molds in our home release mycotoxins, which has contributed to even more symptoms and increased severity of our individual disabilities.
Because of the state of our home and our weakened bodies, we have had to return my service pup that I had hoped to train and keep for 15 years or more- and am now grieving him after only 5 months of companionship.
We have two cats who will need their own medical care once we are able to leave our home, in 6-8 weeks. We still need to dispose of most of our porous/textile belongings, including my spouse's clothes, our mattresses, frames, couch, and sentimental items that I have made over my lifetime.
We are grateful to have community to assist us physically when possible with our sorting, packing, moving, storing, and dumping. Without others, we would not be able to physically handle this undertaking. We have had housing issues for the past four years, and hope desperately to find safety, stability, and closure in our home once more when we return.
We will need to live elsewhere for 3-4 months, and have our bodies detoxed after testing for what mold types are living inside us.
Remediation and Renovation will include removal of 4 feet or more of multiple walls, including a wall shared with a shower, a counter, and likely cabinets. We will also have 80% of our flooring removed, and replace the A/C unit and ductwork.
The outlook of debt is overwhelming, so any small contribution is helpful and appreciated!
With care,
El & Elliott
Organizer
