Mold in the Home – A True Story

Mold doesn’t just happen overnight, but the development of mold can be accelerated by factors such as floods or a perpetually damp environment.  The Riley family survived Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike, but the environmental conditions produced by the weather would impact their family beyond what they could have imagined.

The family lived in a manufactured home in Harrison County, Mississippi.  For four years they were sick and tired all of the time, but couldn’t figure out why.  It wasn’t until 2002 when their nephew literally fell through a wall while playing that they realized there was a major problem.

After a thorough investigation of the house, it was determined that the whole house was filled with mold.  The family had to move out of the home and take nothing with them, so as not to contaminate their new living environment.

The family lost $68,000 in personal article damage, but the damage to the property wasn’t nearly as terrible for the family as the damage to their bodies.  Mr. Riley was covered with lesions that were caused by mold toxins trying to escape.  The son suffered from recurring nosebleeds due to mold.

Breathing in mold can cause serious health problems because mold can  produce very toxic compounds called fungal toxins, which make people extremely ill.  The Riley’s are doing better now, but they still are overcoming their health problems by taking vitamins and medications to detoxify their bodies of the poisonous mold they breathed in for so many years.
This is why it is important to take action if your family is constantly feeling sick.  If doctors can’t pinpoint a reason for your illness and if your home’s environment is very moist, it could very well be mold.  As a precaution, moisture control systems such as HomeAire’s Active Dampness Control™ and appropriate ventilation like kitchen ventilation fans and bathroom ventilation fans can help remove damaging moisture from your home.