Our Story

My name is Emilie, and writing this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

My husband Sean and I have two young daughters, ages 3 and 5, and we just welcomed our newborn baby this week. Our family should be celebrating this beautiful new chapter of life, but instead, we are trying to rebuild after losing our home and nearly everything we own.

Our family home in Dallas was severely damaged during a restoration project that went terribly wrong. The contractor repeatedly delayed work, performed poor workmanship, and left parts of the home exposed to moisture and damage. Over time, this led to extensive mold contamination spreading throughout the house.

Eventually, the mold spread into our belongings, destroying furniture, clothing, children's items, and many things we had worked years to build. The health issues became so serious that we ultimately had to leave the home entirely.

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The Health Impact

While living in the house, our family began experiencing frightening health problems.

Our oldest daughter began having severe sensory issues where she would scream when clothing touched her skin, and she started having night terrors almost every night.

Our youngest daughter began showing behaviors that made us fear she might be autistic. After we moved out of the home, she began speaking more, and many of those behaviors suddenly stopped.

My husband was repeatedly rushed to the hospital and had ambulances called for him. He eventually lost his job during this time. Doctors later discovered mold exposure in his blood, and he began treatment for it.

After breathing treatments, he was coughing up black material, and he now has to take pain medication multiple times a day.

I personally lost 86 pounds in less than three months. I was preparing to see a hematologist because of abnormal bloodwork and other symptoms. Every morning I was coughing up mucus, my throat was constantly sore, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I struggled to think clearly and constantly felt like my body was in a fear or panic response.

After we moved out of the house, our symptoms slowly began to improve.

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Losing Our Home

We spent everything we had trying to repair the damage, replace contaminated belongings, and keep our family afloat while dealing with temporary housing and legal battles related to the contractor's work.

Unfortunately, the financial burden became overwhelming, and we ultimately lost our home.

While I was pregnant with our baby, we received the devastating news that we were losing the house that had been our home for almost a decade — a home that has been in my family since my great-grandmother first owned it.

The stress was overwhelming. My blood pressure spiked, and I developed preeclampsia, which resulted in our baby being delivered early.

I cried during labor knowing that when we left the hospital, we didn't know where our family would live.

Right now, we are trying to stay in temporary housing while we figure out how to rebuild our lives and give our children stability again.

Between mold contamination and the loss of our home, most of our belongings are unsalvageable. The cost of safe housing, replacing essential items for our children, and navigating the legal aftermath has been devastating.

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How Donations Will Help

We never imagined asking for help like this, but right now we truly need it.

Funds raised will go toward:

• Safe temporary housing for our family

• Replacing essential belongings lost to mold contamination

• Legal expenses related to the contractor dispute

• Basic living expenses while we stabilize our situation

If you are unable to donate, sharing our story would mean the world to us.

We are doing everything we can to rebuild our lives and give our children a safe place to call home again.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for any support you can give.

— The Riley Family

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Financial Impact

The total financial damage from this situation has been overwhelming.

• Temporary housing costs approximately $3,000 per month

• Personal belongings lost to mold contamination total over $91,000

• We have already spent around $30,000 in legal fees

• A $67,000 judgment related to the contractor dispute is what is ultimately pushing the property into foreclosure

• Estimated mold remediation and repair costs exceed $131,000

The true financial impact is far beyond what we could ever raise here.

We are setting our fundraising goal at $75,000 to help cover temporary housing, essential belongings for our children, and immediate expenses while we work through the legal process and try to rebuild our lives.

Any support or sharing of our story means more to our family than words can express.