Shen Vs The Mold Monster

Hello dear friends and whoever else may be reading this,

My beloved friend, Shen, has been experiencing intense allergy flare-ups lately, and has just discovered black-colored mold growing in her house to be the culprit. Unfortunately, large portions of the mold are visible on the wood panels of her storage room, and there is more within the walls and the insulation between the roof and the ceiling.

No Reaction:
Reaction:

Right now, she is working on blocking off the room where it has been discovered to restrict airflow from that room to the rest of the house (this particular room is connected to the rest of the house), but ultimately, she will need to take further measures in order to stay safe and healthy in her home. Due to physical and financial restrictions, relocating is not a viable option for her. As such, the equipment being requested here is absolutely necessary and vital to keeping Shen safe in her home.

Photos of some of the visible mold:
Blocking off the room where mold was discovered:

She also needs to find out if the mold in her home, which appears to be black in color, is Stachybotrys, also known as “toxic black mold,” since this would be a health risk for her boyfriend or anyone else who enters the home. Not all black-colored mold is toxic, but since Shen is allergic to mold, ANY mold is a huge health risk for her. Mold allergies have been shown to increase and worsen with repeat exposure. Shen has been experiencing difficulty with her cognitive and physical functioning on top of her allergy flare-ups. Her symptoms have included difficulty breathing, passing out and blacking out frequently, weakness in her muscles, loss of feeling in limbs, chest tightness, throat tightness and itching, hives and swelling, flushing, migraines, itchy eyes, heart palpitations/tachycardia. Shen has been diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Ehlers Danlos, POTS, Lyme Disease, and Hypothyroidism, and her exposure to black mold has been increasing the severity of her symptoms. 

I’ll include links that go into further detail about a few of the conditions I’ve mentioned above if you’d like to learn more:

Effects of Anaphylaxis:
https://www.healthline.com/health/anaphylaxis/effects-on-body  

Mold Allergy Symptoms:
https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/mold-allergy-symptoms#outlook  

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome:
https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/related-conditions/mcas  

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/multiple-chemical-sensitivity  

Her wonderful boyfriend, Toliver, has been working hard to help take care of cooking and cleaning among other household tasks while Shen has been overwhelmed by these symptoms. In the meantime, they are working on treating the mold with peroxide, but we are very concerned that Shen may end up in the hospital if this is not properly taken care of soon. 

How the money will be spent:

Ideally, we are looking to gather some funds to test the spores to see what kind of spores are in the air, and purchase an air purifier, recommended by Shen’s doctor, to reduce airborne exposure to the mold spores. She is also looking to purchase a more comfortable respirator mask that can be worn for longer periods of time, along with a pack of filters for the mask. The estimated cost of these items will be about $1,300, which will include shipping costs, tax, and GoFundMe service fees. 


Here are links to these particular items:

Air Purifier: 
https://www.sylvane.com/austin-air-healthmate-plus-air-purifier.html

Respirator Mask:
https://www.amazon.com/3M-Comfort-Facepiece-Reusable-Respirator/dp/B00IF7R8K0/  

Mask Filter:
https://smile.amazon.com/3M-60926-Multi-Cartridge-Filter/dp/B0013A7MBQ/  

Mold Spore Test Kit:
https://www.amazon.com/Testing-Analysis-Expert-Consultation-included/dp/B016YSY8XQ  

Anybody who knows me knows how much I adore this beautiful human being (seriously, I never shut up about her), and anyone who knows her personally will know exactly why. Shen is one of the most genuine, down-to-earth, reliable, loving, wise, authentic, and compassionate individuals I have ever encountered in my life, and I am so honored to know somebody who adds so much richness to my life. If you’re willing and able to help out with some of these expenses, it would be greatly appreciated!