Our family home has been overtaken by hidden mold, and repairs are more than we can handle alone. After already facing the heartbreaking stillbirth of our son this year, we’re now struggling to make our house safe for our children. Please help us create a healthy home again.

Hello, we’re the Ratliff family. In 2018, we bought our home with hopes of turning it into our dream place to raise our family. Unfortunately, what should have been a happy chapter has turned into an ongoing struggle with hidden issues that the inspection missed.

At first, we put our savings into new flooring, only to discover warped subfloors and mold soon after. We had the mold treated, but ever since, our home has been a constant source of stress and worry. For years, we’ve lived without proper flooring and with uncertainty about what’s happening beneath our home.

This year has already been incredibly difficult, as we suffered the heartbreaking loss of our son, born still at 38 weeks. In the midst of our grief, we tried to move forward by tackling more house projects—only to find mold has returned.

Multiple inspectors believe the problem lies in our crawlspace, possibly from water intrusion, but the exact cause is still unclear. We’ve had plumbers, HVAC professionals, and crawlspace specialists come through, with more appointments scheduled. Each visit brings new expenses, and meanwhile, the mold seems to be taking a toll on our health and that of our children

Estimates to repair the crawlspace and properly remediate the mold range anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000. This is far beyond what we can manage on our own, especially after everything we’ve already endured.

We are doing everything we can, but the costs are overwhelming. Between inspections, treatments, and repairs, we’ve fallen behind. On top of it all, our washing machine broke the same day the plumber came.

We’re asking for help to make our home safe again—for ourselves and for our kids. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to a healthy, stable home. Even if you can’t give, we’re grateful that you took the time to read our story and share it.

Thank you for supporting us through one of the hardest seasons of our lives.

❤️ The Ratliff Family

Any funds not used directly for crawlspace and mold remediation will go toward other urgent home needs, including HVAC repairs and essential fixes that inspectors have recommended. Every dollar will be used to make our home safe and livable for our family.