Mom vs. mold a dream home deception

Please help me remediate toxic black mold from my home for me and my two young boys. This mold has likely been an underlying cause of severe illness in my 3.5 year old son. Costly medical bills, fixing shoddy and dangerous repair work from previous owners, and now this recent discovery of toxic black mold throughout our home have depleted my savings and emergency funds, and it’s costing me so much more.

–

October 16, 2021 was a day of pure joy. My two boys and I were moving into our dream home. It has a backyard they can play in and it’s only a few doors down from the k-12 school they will both be attending. My plan from the start was to use some of my savings to have a couple bedrooms furnished for travel nurses so I’d have another stream of income to support me and my boys.

Expensive coverups were the first warning signs.

As I started to set up the nurses area, I began to find numerous coverups from previous homeowner. As one who always sees the best in people, I couldn’t believe what was happening. They painted over a water damaged ceiling, electrical work that was not done to code and carefully hidden, and so much more. All covered up so well the inspector during the purchase process didn’t catch it.

Then my youngest son's health began to deteriorate.

Now onto my 3 year old, Jaxon. This last year and a half Jaxon has been hospitalized 11 different times at Children’s Hospital of CO, lasting from one day or up to 5. Without any reason that multiple specialists, pediatricians, and naturopaths could find, Jaxon’s lungs were simply not thriving the way they should.

In October 2022, he came down with RSV and the common cold and ended up on a bipap machine fighting for his life for 5 days. He is always sick, coughing, and struggling to breathe and specialists are still trying to figure out what the underlying cause is. Our only lead was a test at National Jewish finding mold to be a high allergen. Most recently, two days in a row this February, his face went white and his lips turned blue out of nowhere and had to be rushed to the hospital, with his oxygen levels at 64%.

More testing is scheduled in April. Each time getting more invasive. He will be put under anesthesia to have a scope put down into his lungs, with not only his pulmonology team but also the ENT team.

At many points during these health scares, I have thought things were terrible but I recently found out they can get worse.

Finally some (horrifying) answers.

After Jaxon’s test results and a discussion with a client of mine who owns a mold remediation company we scheduled a mold inspection.

To our horror they found mold. But not just any mold — the most harmful kinds of black mold.

I had samples sent off to a testing facility and the findings were verified. To quote the mold specialist, “That wall cavity in the bathroom tested extremely high for penicillium/aspergillus and stachybotrys. You need to limit the time you spend in that bathroom. If you do have to be in there, wear a mask.”

This is the same bathroom my boys play in the bathtub. This is the same wall that my boys rest their heads against at night while they sleep.

I immediately set up an appointment to get the remediation done. I was obviously scared to have to gut the bathroom and linen closet, all the while being out of the house and losing out on half of my income from my rental unit. But I was in high hopes and knew it was necessary to make our home safe and healthy for me and my two boys.

The discoveries keep on coming.

However, on day one of remediation I found out this is a much bigger problem than any of us could have imagined.

The mold is not only in the bathroom and linen closet but another bathroom, laundry room, under the stairs, and 3 bedrooms. One being my boy’s room. And this is just day one. Who knows how much more will be uncovered.

I take so much pride in the effort I have made in being financially secure. I bought my first home at 25 on my own, I have raised my two boys 100% on my own the last 3.5 years, and I struggle to ask for help.

But as difficult as it is, I have to ask for help.

I have worked hard all my life to be financially stable and secure, but all of that security has been depleted fixing these cover ups already.

My son’s health and medical expenses, my time off work to be by his side while he struggles to breathe in the hospital, half of my income shattered by not being able to have tenants, the mold remediation to make our home SAFE, and the reconstruction so we can move back into our home. All of it has added up to be so far beyond anything I could have foreseen or can handle on my own.

If you have anything to spare, even a share will help. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! Thank you for giving my son his breath back, our home back, our life back!