Phill’s Recovery From Toxic Mold Exposure

To our friends, family and community:

Many of you know our wonderful friend Phill Weaver. This GoFundMe is being supported by a fundraising team of Phill's friends - Val, Heather and Lionel. We have been moved to come together to help Phill in a meaningful time of need!

You may know and love Phill from youth camp in our teenage years, way back in the 1990s. Phill was always known to be confident, caring, stoic and so centered. He gives the best long, comforting hugs! He's also quiet, but you get a sense of deep meaning and understanding from his presence. Regardless of how you know Phill, you have probably experienced these same wonderful qualities in him.

Unfortunately, Phill has experienced a number of years of extreme health issues due to mold toxicity from his condo. He has battled countless physiological and psychological symptoms from chemical and hormonal changes stemming from the mold toxicity. He has tried to renovate his condo with limited funds so that he can move back into a safe environment, but he and his family have reached their financial limit. Please read Phill's story (I promise it's not too long, and it's a good read!) and look at the pictures at the bottom. If you feel moved to help financially, please make a donation! And please share on your social media accounts and with your friends and family to hopefully make it go viral! Thank you for your time and attention. With love - Val, Heather and Lionel

Phill's Story:

I purchased my condo in Dana Point, CA in 2004. In 2018 I started to notice that the linoleum squares in my kitchen were buckling upward and when I would flip them over I would see moisture underneath. While this was occurring my digestion was abnormal and I began to experience anxiety attacks for the first time. At 5'10” I lost almost 40 pounds dropping down to 125. Over time, from 2020 to the present day, my symptoms progressed and I have experienced severe headaches, hormone imbalances, extreme anxiety/mood swings, swelling of my hands and feet, itching and burning in my gut and the rest of my body, unprovoked electric shocks, ringing in my ears, memory loss, vision changes, hallucinations, altered states of consciousness/reality, and much more. I also developed extreme sensitivity to odors from things like plastics, scented body care products, and even fresh cut grass, to the point where I had to wear a full respirator.

I came across a video with a functional medicine doctor saying, “If you are experiencing digestive issues and anxiety, check your house for mold.” That was the lightbulb moment for me; and with my symptoms worsening, it became clear that I needed to get out of my condo ASAP. Hoping for a living space conducive to my healing, I tried my parents’ house, a tent in their backyard, and even a rented RV in front of their house. I finally found a newer apartment that I was confident would be mold-free. However, the cost of moving there dramatically increased my expenses.

I saw a number of primary care doctors who were not able to diagnose my symptoms, so I started looking outside of what my insurance would cover. I saw a Naturopathic team at Bastyr University, a functional medicine chiropractor, two Integrative Medical Doctors, another Naturopathic Doctor, and then finally found my “forever doctor” Doctor Kelly McCann. After testing my condo for mold, Dr. McCann said the score was the highest/most toxic score she had ever seen from a home!

Once mold was confirmed as the source of my symptoms, I was finally diagnosed with mold toxicity. My symptoms became so severely mentally and physically debilitating that I had to take an extended leave of absence from work. At one point, sadly, things were so bad and the outlook so bleak that I asked both my doctor and my parents to help me plan a peaceful, painless exit from this life. Thankfully, Dr. McCann has given me hope by working steadily with me over the last three years to help me detox.

I am continuing to work when I’m well enough but keeping up with medical bills and the mold remediation/build-back of my condo has been challenging. It has not only drained my savings and much of my retirement, but the savings and partial retirement of dear family who have made significant sacrifices to help me up to this point. After much introspection, I have decided to reach out to my community of family and friends (and friends of friends) for help. I am also hoping that sharing my story and information about the prevalence of mold and the dangers of mold exposure might help others in return. Below there is vital information on this subject, links to how you can find a great doctor and test your home for mold, and I am readily available to talk to anyone who would like more information on the subject.

Here are the details of the financial help I need:

Out-of-pocket medical bills incurred so far: approximately $50,000

Continuing monthly medical bills: $2,000-$3,000 per month

Money already spent on demo and mold remediation: $128,000

Money needed to make the condo paint-ready: $70,000

Additional money to go from paint-ready to move-in-ready $100-150K (bids pending)

At this time I am asking for funds to make the condo paint-ready: $70,000

If you are feeling called to donate, I would greatly appreciate anything you are able to give. I hope all is well with you and your loved ones and I am so thankful that you have taken the time to read about my recovery journey.

For more photos scroll to the bottom. They include me wearing an N95 mask for help with breathing sensitivity (not because of covid), various pictures of the mold and moisture found in my condo, the condo walls demo-ed down to the studs, daily medications, etc.

Mold 101 - Supplemental Information for you

Though mold and the toxins they give off (mycotoxins) are different, for the sake of simplicity, I will continue to use the term “mold” when referring to either.

Exposure to mold (especially the species that thrive indoors) can adversely affect any system in the human body. Additionally, it can present as virtually any symptom. One in four people have genetics that make them more susceptible to inefficient detoxification of inflammagenic organisms such as mold Mold Exposure

In addition, multiple studies have been combined to estimate that about half of the homes in the U.S. have sustained dampness or mold Dampness

The doctors many of us see (Western / allopathic), have had training in the diagnosis and treatment of mold exposure as an allergen but not necessarily as a toxin.

All of this information points to the conclusion that many of us, with seemingly random symptoms or ailments, may have been exposed to mold (or other toxins) and just haven't found a practitioner with the ability to diagnose us.

Resources For Mold Avoidance

- I universally recommend HEPA air purifiers for everyone’s home. If you only get one, running it full time in your bedroom can help bolster the important detox you’re doing while sleeping. I like this company Air Doctor Pro and they often have sales.

- Has your home had a water event (leak from plumbing or rain)? Has any part of your home ever smelled musty? Do you feel better when you go on vacation? If you’d like data on the mold levels in your home, you can test it for $240. You order the ERMI kit, collect dust from around your house, and send it back in. ERMI Kit

- Find a great healer before you need one. The two organizations I recommend have “find a practitioner” search pages:

- Practitioner One On this page you can search for a doctor and/or an Indoor Environmental Professional (who can give you a full assessment of the “health” of your home and the air you’re breathing).

- Practitioner Two