Thank you very much for taking the time to read this GoFundMe.
My name is Shelly C. I’m organizing this Gofundme for my wonderful fiance, Ray Dehghan-Paz.
A. Summary
1a. Ray has been the most loving and caring member of his family throughout his life.
Ray is non-binary and has been non-binary throughout his entire life. Ray grew up in a severely transphobic, severely abusive home. Despite Ray being so loving and caring, because Ray was/is non-binary, Ray was and is severely sexually, physically, and emotionally abused by his entire family throughout his entire life.
1b. Ray was on the way to continuing to significantly help our community when, according to Ray’s M.D. physician, who states, in signed document(s), that Ray was severely injured by a large amount of toxic mold in previous housing. This previous housing was located in Aurora, Illinois (Kane County, USA). Three separate, certified environmental health inspectors have completed and signed three separate reports stating that this toxic mold was completely the fault of housing management due to their negligence. (Please see the signed M.D. physician document mentioned in this paragraph further down.).
Ray’s M.D. physician states, in signed document(s), that as a consequence of this severe, permanent toxic mold injury mentioned above, Ray’s MD physician has diagnosed him with severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as severe ME/CFS.
In the same document, Ray’s MD physician further writes that Ray’s life is at serious, imminent risk as a consequence of this severe, permanent toxic mold injury mentioned above.
2. One of the three toxic mold inspection reports that Ray commissioned, by a highly respected mold inspector, stated the following: because the toxic mold in Ray’s housing was so dangerous and at such high levels, it is their professional opinion that Ray should have never been allowed to even enter this housing. Here is the link to this important report:
3. Ray comes from the family of an American military hero, a Great Uncle who is a US Army World War 2 Purple Heart veteran - whose picture being honored is a little further down. Ray very much wants to follow his Uncle’s footsteps of service to our community, our American country, our world and our planet.
(Photo: Ray (left) and me, Shelly (right), Feb 2015, shortly before the toxic mold injury/poisoning.)
3b. Ray pleaded extensively with his entire family and all family friends for help while he was being lethally poisoned by the toxic mold. Ray showed everybody his extensive documentation including toxic mold reports from three different certified health inspectors, immune tests on his body, letters from several of Ray’s MD physicians, all stating how extremely lethal this toxic mold was to Ray. Ray’s MD physicians pled extensively in writing with his family to remove him from that tremendous danger and place him somewhere safe. Despite all this pleading from several M.D. physicians, inspectors, and from Ray himself, Ray’s entire family and family friends completely abandoned Ray while he was being poisoned by this extremely deadly toxic mold.
Evidence shows that Ray’s family and family friends abandoned Ray to die in the lethal toxic moldy housing because Ray was/is non-binary.
3c. Ray has not, and, most unjustly, most likely will not be able to obtain legal compensation for this devastating toxic mold injury. Ray has looked extensively for legal representation and has not been able to find representation.
4. We are most humbly and most kindly reaching out to local political and community leaders, local community organizations, the local media, friends, family, and anybody most kindly willing to help us. We are reaching out to all these people in our most sincere efforts to get assistance to follow Ray’s MD doctor’s orders to plan for and build medically clean housing completely safe from toxic mold and secondhand cigarette smoke. This medically clean housing is critical in helping Ray to return to being a highly contributing citizen of our community, our American country and our world.
5. In the meantime, however, the harsh, immediate reality is that Ray’s life is at serious and imminent risk. Ray’s recent MD doctor’s letter supports that Ray is at serious and imminent risk of dying a painful death if he does not soon receive financial assistance that allows them to remain in the better temporary housing, where he was currently staying. Ray’s MD physician also medically prescribes and explains in writing how Ray direly needs financial assistance for medically necessary medical treatments (they are not covered by insurance) . Ray’s MD physician also prescribes and states in writing that Ray direly needs financial assistance for medically necessary and decent food and transportation, also not covered by insurance.
6. Here is a copy of Ray’s recent M.D. doctor’s letter, which supports what we are stating in this GoFundMe:
7. Here is one of the reports referred to in the above letter from Ray’s MD, of the mold mycotoxin tests on Ray’s body:
7b. Ray has emailed his entire local major media, both print/online and television/radio, with a meticulous, clear explanation and strong documentation of their severe and permanent toxic mold injury and most urgent, dire situation. These contacts to their local major media are including a most respectful follow-up with them that Ray’s life is at serious and imminent risk. Despite these meticulous, well documented contacts to their entire local major media, nobody in their local major media has yet agreed to cover or do a story on Ray’s most urgent, dire situation.
8. The escape to better temporary housing
With the help of a friend, Ray has been able to, for the time being, afford better, temporary housing in the area. Unfortunately, this temporary housing is very expensive and still exposes Ray to secondhand cigarette smoke. Because this secondhand cigarette smoke triggers Ray’s multiple chemical sensitivities, Ray has still been unable to work. Despite the secondhand smoke issue, Ray’s doctor stated in a signed document that they need to stay here until he can find cleaner housing.
(Photo: Ray’s US Army Purple Heart WW2 veteran Great Uncle Daniel Sayad, left, being honored by the Chicago Cubs in 2017.)
8b. Update: Ray could not afford to stay in the temporary housing prescribed by his M.D. physician. Ray is now in a nursing home. We very much need and greatly appreciate your continued support.
9. It was at one of the fourteen Kane County Board meetings where we testified about the toxic mold that I, Ray’s fiancée, compared Ray to his US Army Purple Heart WW2 veteran Uncle Danny. I compared Ray to his Uncle Danny because of what I described as Ray’s passion for helping others. You can see that specific testimony of mine here (begins at 1:28:47):
10. Ray’s life is in serious and imminent danger because of the severe and permanent toxic mold injury and the horrific neglect during and after the toxic mold injury. Despite these injustices continuing to harm Ray and put their life at such great and imminent risk, Ray is emerging from all of this with a deeply forgiving and deeply loving spirit.
11. Please Note: We can say from extensive research and personal experience that there is absolutely no insurance coverage or safety net for housing or transportation needs for people with severe ME/CFS, mold-injured people, and people with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). We can also say from extensive research and personal experience that there is very little insurance coverage, government programs, or safety net for food support or medical treatment for people with severe ME/CFS, mold-injured people/people with chemical sensitivities.
12. Before the toxic mold injury, Ray was developing and demonstrating talent and passion for the arts. This talent and passion for the arts includes a dedication to social progress, social justice and human rights that would likely produce significant contributions to our society. Ray completed a course in acting classes that triggered an earlier passion for acting and made Ray very excited about acting. Ray also wrote about one hundred poems in the period preceding his mold injury and was on his way to becoming a prolific poet.
We strongly maintain hope that Ray can help many people if you help them to survive and build medically clean housing for Ray to live in.
I conclude this summary by stating that, at least in part, the future of our communities, our country, our world, and our planet could be related to a just resolution to this situation.
Thank you very much for reading Ray’s story. I and/or Ray would be eager to most kindly talk or meet with you and/or share with you any relevant documents, and/or answer any questions or concerns you may have.
A most kind reminder that Ray’s life is at serious and possibly imminent risk. We greatly appreciate any help you can offer. Any donation, no matter how small, helps our direly needed momentum which encourages others to donate.
We also greatly appreciate if you most kindly shared this GoFundMe and asked others to share it.
Thank you so very much.
Most sincerely,
Shelly C.
Fiancée of Ray Dehghan-Paz
B. Appendix:
1. For those more interested in Ray’s story, I will share some more minor details in this Appendix:
2. Following the family tradition of service
Two of Ray’s Great Uncles served in our American country’s military during World War Two.
Ray’s Uncle Danny, mentioned earlier, is one of the last US Army WW2 combat veterans to receive the Purple Heart. Here is the link to a news story about the awarding of Uncle Danny’s Purple Heart:
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-native-wwii-vet-awarded-purple-heart-decades-after-service/17578/?amp=1
3. Most of Ray’s ancestral family, on both sides, took refuge in America from horrific religious persecution and religious extremism. Ray is grateful to America and deeply loves American values. Ray has therefore always been very supportive of human rights. Ray began a chapter of a respected human rights organization while still in secondary school, and continued to work with this organization in college.
4. Before the toxic mold injury, Ray was a public and high school librarian for many years across our state of Illinois, including more recently in the Western suburbs.
5. Before the toxic mold injury, Ray had taken good care of their health. Ray would eat a healthy diet, attend the health club nearly every day, and exercise regularly. Ray does the same now.
6. Evidence shows that the toxic mold inside this housing caused severe autoimmune, intestinal/digestive, upper respiratory, neurological/cognitive, and severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) issues: the toxic mold in this housing made Ray extremely sensitive to common environmental toxins.
7. Toxic mold injury prevents Ray from working
Ray sought employment through a state employment agency.
After Ray began to get sick from the housing’s toxic mold, a state employment agency permanently closed their ongoing case. Ray vigorously appealed the initial case closure, but the state rejected Ray’s appeal and permanently closed their case. In its appeal rejection documents, the state acknowledged that environmental toxins in Ray’s housing likely or may be what was causing Ray’s inability to work.
8. The Fair Housing requests re: toxic mold
Over the course of Ray’s devastating residency in that housing with toxic mold, Ray submitted - to the President of the organization that owns and manages this housing - at least two Fair Housing/Illinois Human Rights requests. Ray’s Fair Housing requests contained two of the completely separate reports, with two separate visits and two separate sets of samples taken by two completely separate licensed/certified mold inspectors.
Both reports indicated that toxic mold was a problem in this housing and needed to be addressed. At least one report emphasized the severely dangerous nature of the toxic mold in the housing.
Ray’s Fair Housing requests contained letters from two of their MDs, stating that the toxic mold in their housing was devastating to their physical and mental health.
9. Local community members testify at local county board about the toxic mold and other toxins in Ray’s housing
Ray, me, and several community members testified about the toxic mold and secondhand smoke inside this housing at a total of fourteen separate Kane County Board meetings.
Here is a link to all the testimonies at the Kane County Board of Ray and fellow local community members about the toxic mold and devastating air quality in Ray’s apartment:
10. President of owning and managing organization denies toxic mold in housing, refuses to help, instead terminates lease
Despite all of this, the President of the organization that owns and manages this toxic moldy housing denied that any toxic mold problems existed. The President of this organization refused to remediate the toxic mold. The President also refused to help with any of the devastation caused by their toxic moldy housing.
Instead of helping Ray and me, the leadership of this organization and management of this housing terminated our lease. Management terminated our lease even though I was out of state in the middle of a dire emergency as I was helping my mother who was dying of cancer.
11. Because of Ray’s very limited financial resources, this matter is most urgent. Therefore, Ray most kindly needs financial assistance immediately.
12. To help you better understand Ray’s illness, here are links to articles from the mainstream media that describe Ray’s illness:
The Guardian, “What is black mold and what problems can it cause?”:
Forbes, “Sick Building Syndrome: Is Your Home Making You Sick?”:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/terriwilliams/2023/12/15/sick-building-syndrome-home-buyers-homeowners-and-renters-beware/amp/
The Guardian, “Allergic to the world: Can medicine help people with severe intolerances to chemicals?”:
https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/20/allergic-to-the-world-multiple-chemical-sensitivity-mcs-can-medicine-help
Science Alert, “Landmark Study Confirms Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is ‘Unambiguously Biological.’”:
Organizer and beneficiary
Ray Dehghan
Beneficiary