Help Grandma & Her Dog Get Back Home After Asbestos Disaster

83-Year-Old Grandma Displaced from Home of 50 Years, while Insurance Companies Deny All Coverage and Do Nothing to Help

I am sharing my story with the help of my daughter and family friends, in hopes that you can offer your support during this challenging time.

 

Introduction

After living in my home for almost 50 years, my family and I were tragically displaced due to asbestos contamination caused by a licensed contractor’s careless work.

Trusting the wrong professional has turned our lives upside down and has now put me and my family in a dire situation.

I am reaching out and asking for financial support and am appreciative for any amount that can be donated. I am grateful for your help as my family and I do not have the financial resources to proceed with what it is going to take to get me back home.

As a retired Hospice Home Health Nurse, I have dedicated my life to caring for others. Asking for help is not something I am comfortable with, but this situation is beyond anything we could manage on our own. Please know how deeply grateful I am for your generosity and support in getting us back to our beloved home.

Our Story

Our family made the unfortunate mistake of trusting a licensed contractor, who due to his carelessness, contaminated our entire house with asbestos. We hired him to remove the popcorn ceilings and he assured us that he would properly cover each room and protect our household items and personal belongings.

Unfortunately, he did not inform us that the ceilings needed to be tested for asbestos before he could start scraping them because it is an older home. Once he started working, we noticed popcorn and white debris all over the house, furniture, and our personal belongings, which all tested positive for asbestos.

To make matters worse, the contractor further jeopardized our health by having us run the HVAC for the entire 2 weeks he was working and also used a shop vac that spread asbestos all over the entire house. For over two weeks, we lived in the house, unaware that asbestos had spread everywhere. By the time we realized what had happened, we were living in our completely contaminated home and unknowingly exposed to this dangerous substance. We had to find a place to live temporarily and are now left to figure out how to get back home and pray that this exposure will not lead to any serious health risks.

We had no idea something this straight forward could turn into a situation this severe, but are hopeful that we can raise the funds with your help and take that next step to getting through this for Mom.

One of the most heartbreaking parts of this ordeal is that Mom has now been displaced from her home of 50 years for over 2 months.

This has been a life-altering experience and the only way we can get past it, is to raise the funds to have the house safely abated, this means professionally decontaminated which has to be overseen by a Government agency and only then, we can put Mom’s home back together, repair all the damage, and replace all of the major items that will have to be disposed of, which is estimated to cost over $300k—a figure far beyond our financial resources.

Experts have advised us that we have to dispose of all our personal belongings, all porous items, clothing, furniture, HVAC, carpets, appliances, kitchen cabinets and contents, etc. if we want to have peace of mind to know that we will not be exposed to asbestos fibers that can have a deadly result if we do not move forward with all the recommended decontamination procedures. Imagine having strangers come into your home, your private space where you once felt safe and go through all of your precious belongings to throw away your personal items that are irreplaceable all because of a contractor that did not uphold the standard of care and perform the job he told us he would do.

Being informed that everything in your home has to be discarded due to the contamination is beyond comprehension. Can you imagine your most memorable possessions being thrown away? Mom has items that are extremely dear to her passed on from her parents and grandparents. She has kept these things for years because they remind her of precious memories, which she cannot ever replace. How do you tell her that she can’t keep these things?

The psychological aspect of this situation is very difficult because it involves the mind and heart, where sometimes they want very different things. We just want to do the right thing for Mom and are praying for God to give us clarity.

The Impact

We’ve been displaced from our home due to a reckless contractor and do not have the financial resources to go through the mandatory process required to get us back home. We are also highly concerned about the serious health risks associated with our exposure to asbestos, while at the house when the work was being performed.

Having peace of mind is so difficult in this situation because of all of the alarming things we have learned about asbestos contamination. We really had no idea how serious and deadly asbestos exposure could be and that it could turn into something of this magnitude, but are hopeful that we can raise the funds with your help.

The Process and Breakdown of Costs

In order to start the process, we have to proceed with hiring environmental consultants to develop a government-approved plan that is required from the regulatory agency that has to oversee this process because of the dangers of asbestos contamination. In addition, we have to hire an abatement company to properly dispose of everything in the house including our personal belongings and decontaminate the house according to government standards. And once all of that is complete, then we can bring in multiple contractors to put the home back together, so it is livable again.

Raising $300,000 is a big number to ask for and may be an underestimate of what this entire process may end up costing, but this would be an enormous help to us. We know this is not a typical situation and want to share where the funds will be going. The list below will help put the costs in perspective as to what it will entail to get Mom back home.

Breakdown of the estimated costs:

* Asbestos consulting, planning, testing, and clearance: $20,000–$40,000

* Abatement of entire home, safe removal of all remaining popcorn left on ceilings, remediation of damaged drywall, attic decontamination, removal and disposal of all contaminated items including all porous items, flooring, carpets, all furniture including sofa, beds, etc., HVAC and ducts, kitchen cabinets, appliances, clothing, personal belongings, etc. - According to EPA government guidelines, all items have to be disposed of in a very specific way and taken to a landfill site out of state since asbestos fibers cannot be destroyed. In addition, all contaminated items are discarded based on weight, which contributes to increased costs that we will not know the exact amount until we start the abatement process. - approx. $90,000 - $150,000

* Exterior abatement, decontamination, and disposal of contaminated items: $15,000–$25,000

* Putting home back together - repairing/replacement of: drywall, electrical, flooring, and replacement of major items to be disposed of (cabinets, appliances, HVAC, furniture, etc.) in order to get home back to a livable condition: $150,000–$200,000

* Temporary housing while home is being abated and repaired: (this entire process has been projected to take between 6-12 months): $15,000–$30,000

How You Can Help

Raising the money is the first major challenge, but what lies ahead is an even more gut-wrenching process that we have to overcome, which is why we are reaching out to you during this incredibly challenging time. Your generosity is our greatest hope, and any contribution, big or small, will make a world of difference to us.

We know there are so many people going through difficult times and our hearts go out to those who have been tragically impacted by the fires. With all that is going on, we sincerely thank you for taking the time to read our story. We are grateful for your kindness and support as we navigate this challenging journey. Thank you!