Toxic Mold — My House Was Killing Me |
On January 11, 1998, I awoke to the world spinning out of control (literally). With every move, the room spun wildly. I could not walk or stand alone. My primary doctor thought I might have MS, but an MRI revealed nothing abnormal. I was tested by 5 different ENT's, an allergist, and an environmental doctor. They did find that I'd apparently had chronic ear infections (from living in a damp moldy environment) .. but the ear infections never hurt, I didn't know
I had them, thus permanent inner ear damage. Testing by 2
different neurologists revealed nothing abnormal. The symptoms continued for weeks; weeks turned into months, finally months into years. I was never suicidal, but I did pray that God would just let me die because I could not deal with day after day after week after month of the hell I was in.
Over the next 4 years, I was taken from doctor to doctor ... no answers. I finally had to hire 'in home help' during the day (at the cost of $11.00 an hour) .. someone just to watch me so I wouldn't fall. I couldn't drive, I couldn't go into stores with fluorescent lighting, I couldn't look at a computer screen 'without becoming violently dizzy. I couldn't read. I couldn't watch anything that moved fast on TV. I could not and still cannot turn quickly.
In June of 2002, I was looking for something in my closet, pulled back a vinyl dress bag, and there on the wall was a huge spot of BLACK MOLD. I called the insurance company. The claims representative came and said for me to tell my doctor that I had been exposed to mold that could make me very sick. He had taken two steps backward and gasped when he saw the mold.
 
You need to know: At this point, I still had an inheritance from my parents who had passed away; enough that would have lasted for the rest of my life, had I been alone and lived very frugally. We had to move to a motel for 4 months at the cost of $10,000.00. I paid with inheritance money. Had to keep utilities on at the house/pay insurance/taxes .. my inheritance paid for that. Had to eat, had to pay lawyers, had to pay all bills. etc., etc. . From June 13, 2002 until October of 2003 tens of thousands of dollars of inheritance money was spent. That just about drained everything. This is where the hell begins (and you thought it couldn't get any worse?). Insurance company wouldn't help. Advised to get a new roof. We did (though ours was just fine). Got replacement windows. Got a new furnace and AC system. Had a well-known company from Wichita come to do an analysis (mind you, we had a 1,000 sq. ft. home, not a mansion). Clean up estimate for ONE room only was around $25,000.00.
File is PDF and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Size approx. 1 mb. We decided to fight: contacted nine lawyers before finding one who would take the case. Waited two years for the suit to get filed. In November of 2000, my only child, my only son was killed in a vehicular accident, leaving me with no family; no sisters, no brothers, no one. In October of 2003, I lost my husband. On Christmas eve day of 2004, I received a letter in the mail informing me that my lawsuit had been dismissed. Nobody would touch a mold case anymore. On the same day, I received notice that the insurance company I sued had cancelled my homeowner's insurance. So ..., I got insured with another company, and 2 days ago received a refund check with no explanation. I now have a house I can't live in, filled with 'my life in boxes', (no room in this tiny apartment for most of my things), a house I have to pay taxes on, have to keep the utilities on, can't sell until I remediate the mold problem, can't fix the problem because of no money. For 3 years, I have lived feeling like I have one foot nailed to the floor. There is just no answer. The ONLY answer I know is to go back and live in the house .. the house that made me and my little dog very very sick. I have enough money to survive a year. And then? I'd be right back to where I am now. That same circle. And if my dog or I would get sick again in that year, there is no one to help me, no family left, no money for health care. It's a circle that never ends. Previously, I had contacted DateLine, ABC, CBS, Erin Brokovitch, Extreme Home MakeOver, local newspapers and TV stations. Nobody wanted my story. I contacted one famous trial attorney, Gerry Spence, and he was kind enough to answer. He told me 'don't give up'. I am on disability. I receive under $400.00 a month and have no other source of income. I have a small amount left is savings that will allow me to live in this apartment maybe one more year and then I'll be on the streets. I have tried every source I know for help; I've contacted Habitat for Humanity housing .. I am not eligible because I don't have the ability to make house payments. I am not eligible for state aid because I have MORE than $1500.00 to my name I desperately need help. I have a home that I still have to pay utilities on, but cannot live in, cannot afford to fix, and I will be out of money very shortly. I feel like I am falling through the cracks of life between here and eternity. I have done extensive research on toxic mold and know what it can do to your health. Some people are not affected at all; others, like me experienced mycotoxosis. See links below. I have letters from a doctor stating that 'the longer she stays in this house, the sicker she will become'. I need only to refer you to Sullivan vs Farmers Insurance to show you what the possible health outcome could be for me if I returned there. For me, toxic mold caused an irregular heartbeat (which I take medication for), chronic sinus problems, neurological problems, short term memory problems (it took me 3 years to re-learn the 5 digit code on the car key-pad). I can't look up high or lean back (like in a shampoo bowl at a beauty shop). Can't stand on a step stool to change my own light bulbs. Can't turn on my side (I had to buy an adjustable bed and sleep flat on my back, never turning, pillows propped beside me so that I don't turn). Turning on my side I lose my depth perception. Same thing with stairs: I can't even climb or descend 3 steps. I can't even remember the woman I used to be. I remember a story a couple of years ago where a college girl had gotten herself into so much credit card debt that she created a website and asked anyone who visited the site to send her $1.00. She got a tremendous response and was able to pay off her debt. I am desperate. I reasoned that if people would send a dollar for something so silly, that maybe, just maybe, people reading about someone in a truly dire situation would send a contribution to me. If enough people read this and can help, I would be able to fix my house and have a place to live the rest of my life. That's all I'm asking for is a home for me and my little dog. Thank you for listening and for any help you can give.
|
|||||||||
