Toxic Mold Taking Over- Help Sue

Updated Story-

We've made some great progress thanks to the donations we have already recieved and some donated hotel points from a friend.  But unfortunately our mold problem is much bigger than we initially suspected and we are stalled halfway through the remediation process.  
Sue was able to stay at a hotel for a few nights to get away from what turned out to be 600 sq. ft of Aspergillus mold in our basement.  We recieved an estimate of $3500 from a mold removal company to do the job, but that is out of reach.  Neither insurance nor warrenty will cover any of this, so we are on our own. (We knew of minor water damage prior to moving in, but thought we were clear of mold. One inspector noted small amounts of "algae" which raised no red flags). So, we took out the insulation in the basement and sprayed the mold.  This should take care of the main source, but  mold spreads voraciously, and there are likely spores all over the house, and especially in the carpets which cover the entire second floor and half of the first.  

Since running out of funds, Sue has had to return home and it is obvious that her health is in danger.  Aspergillus mold is not harmful to most of us, but Sue has Lupus and is often on medication that supresses her immune system.  In her case, Apergillus inhallation can be deadly, and it is definitely making her very sick.  When in the house, her face, especially around her eyes, swells up and she is in obvious discomfort.  She can barely eat, and gets little sleep.  We won't know the full extent of her illness until she sees the specialist which is another $100 co/pay.  She should not be in this house and we need to get the remaining mold out fast. ?

Here is what we have used your generous donations for: so far- Utility Bills (gas and water), prescription medication, 2 medical bills, 4 nights at a hotel for Sue, Home Depot- bleach, box fans, gloves, plastic sheeting, protective wear, cleaners, sprayers, HEPA filter for vacuum, dehumidifier, contractor bags, and General Living Expenses such as food and gas.

Here is what we still need:
Co-pay for Dr for Sue- $100
Air purifiers- ideally one for each room, but hoping to get one for the bedroom and a larger one for the kitchen/living area
Dehumidifier- we have one, but another would help greatly
HEPA filters- for the heating system
Steam Cleaning for carpets
Cleaning supplies- Lowes or Home Depot
Hotel for Sue?- If anyone has any hotel points they would be willing to donate for a night, that would be awesome!
General Living expenses- gas, food
Sue's health insurance premium- $875- we have to cover for while she was on leave and had no pay to deduct from. Will be dropped for this month idlf she is unable to return to work immediately. 

If anyone has any of these items that they are able to donate (or let us borrow in  the case of air purifier, dehumidifier, or carpet steamer) that would help greatly.  Or if you would like your donation to go towards a specific need, please just let us know or I can give mailing address for gift cards.  

https://www.idsociety.org/Aspergillosis_Guideline_Press_Release/


Thanks for your help, Jeff!





Origional Story
*note: this was posted prior to finding mold in the basement or a full medical diagnoses. 
 Sue, Randall, and Seven need help as they battle not only toxic mold, but a mite infestation in their home!  Ridding the house of these invaders, and paying for medical expenses, has drained all of their resources, and Sue has not been able to return to work due to illness. They have fallen so far behind on their bills, that some of their utilities have been disconnected, and Sue is in need of continued medical attention.
Sue is a Special Education Teacher, who has dedicated her career to working with the most challenging student populations.  Randall recently went back to school, and earned his Certificate in Graphic Design.  He was a single Dad, until Sue came into their lives.  Seven is Randall’s son, and is a big-hearted, 8 year old Cub Scout, who loves Minecraft.  Randall and Sue got married last November and the family moved into a new home in Suwanee, GA in February. 


Sue has been living a real life nightmare as the family’s new home became infested with "something" that only she could feel.  Sue suffers from multiple auto-immune diseases, including Lupus and Sjogren’s Syndrome.  She spent her entire summer break from teaching at a charter school specializing in Autism inclusion, battling a flare-up of her diseases. [When one has an auto-immune disease, your immune system attacks your own healthy tissue, causing inflammation and destruction of your own organs.]   Just as it was time for the new school year to begin, Sue felt that something in their home was “attacking” her, noticing bites on her skin.  Randall and Seven felt nothing, making it difficult to convince them that action needed to be taken. 

Eventually, one of the family dogs became very ill, and it was discovered that indeed, there were parasitic, microscopic, mites in the home. Due to Sue’s compromised immune system, she is especially susceptible to hypersensitive reaction to this type of infestation.  Some animal mites will become parasitic to such vulnerable humans, and these have taken up residence on Sue’s skin, causing her extreme discomfort physically and emotionally.  As the couple tried to eliminate the mites from the home, they made another horrific discovery- toxic black mold.  

The couple has tried to eliminate the infestations in the house on their own numerous times, spending hundreds of dollars on products, and were able to get one treatment from a professional company for mites.   But the mold problem has proven to be more widespread than initially thought. They are in desperate need of professional mold remediation, as it now appears that most of their kitchen cabinets will need to be torn out in order to properly prevent the toxic spores from spreading further.

Sue is also in need of continued medical attention to eradicate the toxins from her body, as her health declines each day she lives battling both Lupus and a toxic environment .   Already saddled with a bill for a $600 emergency room visit, as of right now they cannot afford the $100 dollar co-pay required by her insurance for an appointment, and her health is rapidly declining.  Both family dogs need repeated treatment as well. 

Sue is on unpaid leave from her teaching job, and the reduced income paired with increased expenses threatens to leave this family with nothing.  As of last week the family has been without gas to supply hot water or a functional stove/oven.  Their phones and internet have been disconnected, leaving them with little way to communicate or be contacted.  These added obstacles make it impossible for them to overcome these challenges and get back to normal life. 

Please help this family overcome this series of unfortunate events, so that these microscopic monsters don’t take everything from them.