HURRICANES are devastating natural disasters, displacing many families.
But when Hurricane Ian touch Florida in September, one family was not dealing with displacement, but with their greatest concern mold.
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Christian Childers and Kendra Elliott’s home was flooded with two inches of water.
Within a few days, the water level dropped, but toxic mold began to grow instead.
Mold is known as a silent killer, as respiratory problems can accumulate without anyone immediately realizing there is a problem.
It was this fungus that Kendra says killed her husband Christian, who suffered two asthma attacks that required hospitalization before dying on January 2.
Doctors told the mother that Christian had a hypoxic brain condition due to a lack of oxygen.
In the weeks before his death, 26-year-old Christian suffered from fatigue and shortness of breath due to the family’s living conditions.
After the hurricane, they were forced to board up a bathroom and bedroom where the mold had been worst while waiting for help.
Kendra said the mold had continued to grow, but said she was reassured by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the property was livable.
“It’s like a nightmare. They told us the house was still livable. Obviously it wasn’t livable because he died. They forced us to live in a death trap,” she said The independent.
Kendra said the family had been trying to move for months, but with skyrocketing rents – they needed help.
She claimed that they begged FEMA and the Red Cross for help fixing the mold or moving it, but were reportedly denied each time.
Kendra claims that FEMA rejected the family’s requests for housing assistance, claiming that their home would still be classified as habitable by FEMA “because it has a roof intact.”
The family, including their two sons, nine-year-old Riley and four-year-old Colton, were also without electricity for two weeks, with the pipes also burst, the mother claimed.
She added that the landlord had also sent a handyman to refurbish the property, but that while searching for the source of mold, he had broken an interior wall causing “black sludge to seep out.”
How the mold in your home can harm your health
Mold and moisture get worse as the temperature drops.
Cold and flu viruseswhich can cause respiratory infections can also thrive in colder temperatures and poorly ventilated, moist environments.
Asthma and Lung UK say mold in home…
- Can damage the lungs
- To set in motion asthma attacks
- Trigger allergies in those who already suffer
- aggravate or cause mental health problems.
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at Asthma and Lung UK said: “Exposure to mold and moisture can be very damaging to our lungs as mold releases spores which can be inhaled, with symptoms including coughing, wheezing, sneezing or watery eyes.
“Mold and mold are a major trigger for asthma attacks and can exacerbate symptoms in people with other lung conditions, causing them to gasp for breath. Babies, small children, the elderly and people with allergies are more likely to be affected.
“There is a link between poor housing and asthma, because of things like mold and dampness.”
Black mold can be a serious health hazard to Asthma patients and those with weakened immune systems and can trigger attacks, the CDC.
In large enough quantities, it poses a danger to everyone.
Kendra explained that the problem started when Hurricane Ian flooded their home, turning some of the walls to mush and leaving one bedroom and bathroom completely habitable.
She last saw her fiancé on Christmas Eve when he was on a ventilator.
He was eventually put into a medically induced coma before being declared brain dead.
Now the family wants to use their story to draw attention to the red tape and bureaucratic challenges they faced and demand that FEMA change its policies.
“There are so many other families going through this and this has to stop and this will stop. I don’t wish this on anyone,” she said.
The family has one GoFundMe page to raise money to buy a mobile home to live in.
Kendra added that a toxicology report circulated that the “numbers were through the roof” of their former home, which left her concerned for her son’s health.
Jeroeon Douwes, professor of public health at Massey University, enrolled earlier The conversation: “Prolonged exposure to high levels of indoor moisture can decrease lung function and cause chronic health problems such as asthma.
“Those who already suffer from asthma and allergies are more likely to experience more severe symptoms when exposed.”
He added, “People who live in damp and moldy homes are also at increased risk for depression.”
In a statement, FEMA said, “Every death is a tragedy, and we are deeply saddened that another life was cut short in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.”
This way you prevent mold in the house
Asthma and Lung UK are aware that mold can exacerbate or trigger asthma symptoms in people with the condition.
They give them top five tips Start fighting mold in your home today:
1. Open windows and doors to allow air to circulate. But be careful on high pollen or pollution days if these are triggers for you.
2. Try to avoid drying clothes indoors. If you have nowhere else to dry them, open a window if you can.
3. Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom or open a window when cooking or after showering.
4. Close the door of the room you are in when you are cooking or taking a shower to prevent condensation from forming in other rooms
5. Try to keep your home at a good background temperature so that it never gets too cold in all rooms at least 15 degrees.