Moldy No More
A Little Bit About Me
Hi, I’m Christine and I am being affected by something called Sick Building Syndrome. Basically, different environmental factors/allergens are triggering chronic inflammation and it is currently affecting my skin and lungs. My face is the most affected, as it has caused swelling which impedes my vision and my breathing.
Why I Need Your Help
On June 11th 2017, after approximately 6 months of unidentified/undiagnosed symptoms, my doctors told me to move out of my house leaving me, my husband, and 4 kids (ages 7-16) effectively homeless. We’ve been staying with friends and in a hotel for the past 3 weeks. In that time, all of my symptoms have improved. My chronically enlarged lymph nodes shrank, the crippling fatigue lifted, the facial swelling and burning rashes subsided. I had hope that life would soon return to normal. After much searching, we found a place which seemed not to affect my health. We moved in and as extra precaution, we paid to have the ducts sanitized and a whole house UV air purifier installed.
Unfortunately after only 2 days, the swelling has reappeared on my face and the rashes have returned. It burns when I breathe, water hurts my skin, and the fatigue is settling back in. All this to say, we need to relocate again and between medical & moving expenses, we are out of funds which is why I’m turning to you, my friends, for help. Our network we have already reached out to is stretched to the max. We've prayed it would not come to this, yet here we are.
Break Down of Expenses
In addition to the numerous and reoccuring doctor visits, trips to the ER, and prescriptions, my cornea was torn while checking the pressure in my eye due to the inflammation. This caused a fungal infection and I subsequently incurred additional expenses to try to save my eye and vision. The first round of antibiotics and anti-fungal medicine was $360, the second was $249. I will need to spend at least another $150 to finish the treatment. Over the last two weeks, I've seen the infectious ophthalmologist specialist 5 or 6 times. My eye is getting better, but I need to see them again in a week. Each time I go it's $30 co-pay.
We need to raise $975 for the appointment for the mold illness specialist in Virginia. The blood tests will likely run about $500, plus then there are treatments to pay for.
We have a goal of $3000 to cover some of these and future medical, travel, & relocation expenses.
Effects On My Family
We are blessed that my husband has a decent job and my insurance covers the majority of our medical expenses, but the out-of-pocket for the above is not covered, and is adding up to be quite a burden on our finances. The biggest loss in all this is how it has affected my children. They have lost their home, their personal belongings, including stuffed animals, books, and even their beds.
As you can imagine, this upheaval has caused quite a strain on our emotional well-being, in addition to my obvious health detriments. My husband and children have all stepped up to do what they can, but I hate to see them struggling and suffering. We are all doing the best we can to stay strong and keep our heads above water during this trial.
Moving Forward
I hope I can count on you, to help out at whatever level you’re comfortable with. We are all extremely grateful for any support you can provide because we don’t even know where to turn at this point.
I would love to have my health back so I can return to being the wife I was and the fully functioning mom my girls deserve. A home that’s not trying to slowly kill me would also be great, lol, but most importantly, I need hope. Your generous gift will help give me that hope; the hope that I can receive the medical care I need to heal and a healthy home environment.
I have sincere wishes this finds you all well; THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING THIS YOUR CONSIDERATION!
With Much Love and Appreciation,
Christine, Steve, and the Girls
