Toxic Mold Illness- Support For My Daughters
Donation protected
Hi, I'm Harry, and the picture you see is of my beautiful daughters, Brittany and Jessica.
Every mother and father wants their children to grow up happy and healthy, and to ultimately experience independence as they utilize their talents and abilities to pursue their dreams. There are so many wonderful and positive things I can share about my daughters. But today, I need to share something less spectacular.
The beautiful young ladies you see in this picture are very sick and have been for the last several years.
Rather than outlining their story from my vantage point, it's better for it to be shared through the eyes of their mother, Susan. Since they primarily live with her, she's the one who has been on the front-line with our girls from the start... experiencing the heartache, close up and personal, on a daily basis.
I simply ask that you read her story below, keep our daughters in your prayers, donate if you are inclined to do so, and please share this gofundme with those in your social sphere. We need your help at this time.
Sincerely,
Harry
*****************************************************************************
Hello, I'm Susan. My two daughters and I have been living in a little mountain cabin since 2014.
We truly thought we were living in our mountain paradise when around age 15 my oldest daughter, Brittany (now 19), began experiencing physical symptoms that doctors could not diagnose. Brittany’s knee pain began to cause her great difficulty using stairs, and an overwhelming exhaustion prevented any activity beyond getting through the school day. Over the last four years, as symptoms worsened and many new ones began, her quality of life has diminished so significantly that she's been largely confined to bed for the last eight months. Symptoms have included extreme fatigue, muscle aches, abdominal pain, morning stiffness, increased urination, nausea, muscle tremors, disorientation, headaches, hormonal imbalances, sensory sensitivity, memory loss, joint pain, heart palpitations and depression.
During this time, my younger daughter Jessica started to feel significant fatigue, and after several years of sporadic and more consistent knee pain, she was diagnosed with tendonitis. It didn’t make much sense to me as Jessica didn't seem active enough to have joint pain issues, but it was the best answer her doctor could find. Over the last year, Jess’ symptoms have increased and are beginning to follow in the same pattern as her sister’s.
Since 2015 and more persistently over the last year, I have diligently reached out to the medical community. Brittany has seen a cardiologist, ENT, neurologist, GYN, and three primary care providers. She's had an immune panel, an EKG, a holter monitor for two weeks, an MRI, and allergy testing. She's also been checked for Lyme Disease, CBC, Thyroid and various other conditions. To my dismay, the medical community has provided no answers.
Out of desperation, I began my own relentless search for what was robbing my daughters of their quality of life. It was during this time that I discovered an entire community of people in the US and across the globe who were experiencing similar, and often the very same symptoms that had also stumped their medical communities. I found many thousands who were sharing their own stories of hopelessness and feelings of abandonment in coping with their progressive, life altering conditions. At this point, you may be wondering what brought this growing group of people together. If you or anyone you love is experiencing anything like this, please look into Toxic Mold Illness/CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome).
Due to differences in each person’s genetic makeup, some in a family may experience minor to no health issues, while others become severely debilitated. Conventional medicine does not have an answer for this, nor do they recognize this as the cause of countless diseases and unidentified health issues many are facing every day. Left with no answers, too often patients are told there is nothing wrong; that it's "all in their head." Thanks to the internet, more and more people are searching for answers themselves and finding each other, as well as a largely unknown field of unconventional medical doctors who are not swayed by the insurance or pharmaceutical industry. Upon this discovery, a whole world opens up filled with invaluable data from doctors that have conducted years of scientific research, written articles and books, lectured, and opened up practices to care for patients who have no other place to turn.
The common thread with each patient is the discovery of exposure to toxic mold from water damaged buildings. Damage may vary from minor leaks to major flooding in old or new buildings. Sometimes mold is in plain sight, but too often it is hidden behind walls, under floorboards, behind cabinets and tubs, and inside crawl spaces and basements. All of a sudden, the problematic leaks in our upstairs bathroom, kitchen sink cabinet, bedroom and living room, along with old water marks throughout the cabin and a foul odor in the basement became flashing warning lights to a potentially much bigger danger than we had realized.
After sharing these revelations with Harry, we decided it was best that I conduct a mold test inside the home. I ordered and conducted such a test through Envirobiomics. https://www.envirobiomics.com/
After seven days, the results from their lab came back and they were devastating. The ERMI mold test showed abnormally and significantly high levels for 36 environmental molds... including five of the worst (you can view the lab results at the bottom of this page).
A CALL FOR HELP
Because of the number and severity of symptoms, both girls have had to be home-schooled and I have now become Brittany's full time caregiver. Brittany has been unable to get her license to drive, work, go out and socialize, shop or do simple things a normal 19 year-old should be able to do. There are days she is too exhausted to speak or finish her words, and the tremors and weakness in her legs don't allow her to go far. At other times they give out as her joints don’t cooperate. Her world has shrunk to having to decide each day what brief activity she will do before she goes back to sleep again. When she pushes herself or must go out to appointments, it's not uncommon for her to be set back for days. This has been devastating to a young lady with dreams and so much life to live, yet she is unable to spread her wings to fly. And my younger daughter Jessica has been showing a similar pattern of symptoms and I cannot allow this same devastation to happen to her with the information I now know.
I need to act and act now in moving out of this place to a new home, and getting the girls the medical care they need, which our insurance will hardly cover since it is considered unconventional treatment. I have a modest income that can in no way come close to handling the expenses involved. Harry has always been consistent with paying child support and has given above that during times of need, but this is also way above his ability to deal with. We need to rely on the generosity of family, friends and compassionate strangers in providing the type of resources we need at this very moment:
1) * Medical care by Dr. Eric Potter, a superb mold specialist who has graciously agreed to treat both Brittany and Jessica:
A) initial plan: $3,475 for 8 months of treatment, supplements and overnight accommodation.
B) follow-up plan: $1,975 for 5-7 additional months of mold detox treatment.
C) continued treatment: Since every patient is different, this cost is largely unknown. Some patients may be largely better after their initial and follow up plan, while others may require many more years of continued treatment.
2) * $800 security deposit plus $800 first month’s rent for a mold free home
3) * $5,000 for replacement of current belongings: furniture, books, toiletries, kitchenware, electronics, bedding, school supplies, personal belongings, etc. When a home is contaminated like this with mold, everything in the home (with very few exceptions) is also contaminated and must be discarded. They cannot be decontaminated. Due to the mold sensitivities that the girls have developed, we cannot purchase used merchandise; we must know the history of these items to ensure they are mold free; they must be new.
More on Dr. Eric Potter can be found here:
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/more-about-dr-eric-potter/
Additional resources for toxic mold illness can be found here:
www.survivingmold.com
https://experiencelife.com/article/it-could-be-mold/
Mold Test results:
Every mother and father wants their children to grow up happy and healthy, and to ultimately experience independence as they utilize their talents and abilities to pursue their dreams. There are so many wonderful and positive things I can share about my daughters. But today, I need to share something less spectacular.
The beautiful young ladies you see in this picture are very sick and have been for the last several years.
Rather than outlining their story from my vantage point, it's better for it to be shared through the eyes of their mother, Susan. Since they primarily live with her, she's the one who has been on the front-line with our girls from the start... experiencing the heartache, close up and personal, on a daily basis.
I simply ask that you read her story below, keep our daughters in your prayers, donate if you are inclined to do so, and please share this gofundme with those in your social sphere. We need your help at this time.
Sincerely,
Harry
*****************************************************************************
Hello, I'm Susan. My two daughters and I have been living in a little mountain cabin since 2014.
We truly thought we were living in our mountain paradise when around age 15 my oldest daughter, Brittany (now 19), began experiencing physical symptoms that doctors could not diagnose. Brittany’s knee pain began to cause her great difficulty using stairs, and an overwhelming exhaustion prevented any activity beyond getting through the school day. Over the last four years, as symptoms worsened and many new ones began, her quality of life has diminished so significantly that she's been largely confined to bed for the last eight months. Symptoms have included extreme fatigue, muscle aches, abdominal pain, morning stiffness, increased urination, nausea, muscle tremors, disorientation, headaches, hormonal imbalances, sensory sensitivity, memory loss, joint pain, heart palpitations and depression.
During this time, my younger daughter Jessica started to feel significant fatigue, and after several years of sporadic and more consistent knee pain, she was diagnosed with tendonitis. It didn’t make much sense to me as Jessica didn't seem active enough to have joint pain issues, but it was the best answer her doctor could find. Over the last year, Jess’ symptoms have increased and are beginning to follow in the same pattern as her sister’s.
Since 2015 and more persistently over the last year, I have diligently reached out to the medical community. Brittany has seen a cardiologist, ENT, neurologist, GYN, and three primary care providers. She's had an immune panel, an EKG, a holter monitor for two weeks, an MRI, and allergy testing. She's also been checked for Lyme Disease, CBC, Thyroid and various other conditions. To my dismay, the medical community has provided no answers.
Out of desperation, I began my own relentless search for what was robbing my daughters of their quality of life. It was during this time that I discovered an entire community of people in the US and across the globe who were experiencing similar, and often the very same symptoms that had also stumped their medical communities. I found many thousands who were sharing their own stories of hopelessness and feelings of abandonment in coping with their progressive, life altering conditions. At this point, you may be wondering what brought this growing group of people together. If you or anyone you love is experiencing anything like this, please look into Toxic Mold Illness/CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome).
Due to differences in each person’s genetic makeup, some in a family may experience minor to no health issues, while others become severely debilitated. Conventional medicine does not have an answer for this, nor do they recognize this as the cause of countless diseases and unidentified health issues many are facing every day. Left with no answers, too often patients are told there is nothing wrong; that it's "all in their head." Thanks to the internet, more and more people are searching for answers themselves and finding each other, as well as a largely unknown field of unconventional medical doctors who are not swayed by the insurance or pharmaceutical industry. Upon this discovery, a whole world opens up filled with invaluable data from doctors that have conducted years of scientific research, written articles and books, lectured, and opened up practices to care for patients who have no other place to turn.
The common thread with each patient is the discovery of exposure to toxic mold from water damaged buildings. Damage may vary from minor leaks to major flooding in old or new buildings. Sometimes mold is in plain sight, but too often it is hidden behind walls, under floorboards, behind cabinets and tubs, and inside crawl spaces and basements. All of a sudden, the problematic leaks in our upstairs bathroom, kitchen sink cabinet, bedroom and living room, along with old water marks throughout the cabin and a foul odor in the basement became flashing warning lights to a potentially much bigger danger than we had realized.
After sharing these revelations with Harry, we decided it was best that I conduct a mold test inside the home. I ordered and conducted such a test through Envirobiomics. https://www.envirobiomics.com/
After seven days, the results from their lab came back and they were devastating. The ERMI mold test showed abnormally and significantly high levels for 36 environmental molds... including five of the worst (you can view the lab results at the bottom of this page).
A CALL FOR HELP
Because of the number and severity of symptoms, both girls have had to be home-schooled and I have now become Brittany's full time caregiver. Brittany has been unable to get her license to drive, work, go out and socialize, shop or do simple things a normal 19 year-old should be able to do. There are days she is too exhausted to speak or finish her words, and the tremors and weakness in her legs don't allow her to go far. At other times they give out as her joints don’t cooperate. Her world has shrunk to having to decide each day what brief activity she will do before she goes back to sleep again. When she pushes herself or must go out to appointments, it's not uncommon for her to be set back for days. This has been devastating to a young lady with dreams and so much life to live, yet she is unable to spread her wings to fly. And my younger daughter Jessica has been showing a similar pattern of symptoms and I cannot allow this same devastation to happen to her with the information I now know.
I need to act and act now in moving out of this place to a new home, and getting the girls the medical care they need, which our insurance will hardly cover since it is considered unconventional treatment. I have a modest income that can in no way come close to handling the expenses involved. Harry has always been consistent with paying child support and has given above that during times of need, but this is also way above his ability to deal with. We need to rely on the generosity of family, friends and compassionate strangers in providing the type of resources we need at this very moment:
1) * Medical care by Dr. Eric Potter, a superb mold specialist who has graciously agreed to treat both Brittany and Jessica:
A) initial plan: $3,475 for 8 months of treatment, supplements and overnight accommodation.
B) follow-up plan: $1,975 for 5-7 additional months of mold detox treatment.
C) continued treatment: Since every patient is different, this cost is largely unknown. Some patients may be largely better after their initial and follow up plan, while others may require many more years of continued treatment.
2) * $800 security deposit plus $800 first month’s rent for a mold free home
3) * $5,000 for replacement of current belongings: furniture, books, toiletries, kitchenware, electronics, bedding, school supplies, personal belongings, etc. When a home is contaminated like this with mold, everything in the home (with very few exceptions) is also contaminated and must be discarded. They cannot be decontaminated. Due to the mold sensitivities that the girls have developed, we cannot purchase used merchandise; we must know the history of these items to ensure they are mold free; they must be new.
More on Dr. Eric Potter can be found here:
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/more-about-dr-eric-potter/
Additional resources for toxic mold illness can be found here:
www.survivingmold.com
https://experiencelife.com/article/it-could-be-mold/
Mold Test results:
Organiser
Harry Sasnowitz
Organiser
Raleigh, NC
