Hello some of you may know me from my podcast: The Moldy Mama, where I explore mold toxicity, and share my own mold toxicity journey after escaping from a moldy home a few years ago. I come to you with this fundraiser because I am at a critical point and need to get out of the mold altogether. This latest house I have been in with my 16 year old, since December, has a wall with an encased chimney (the fireplace was removed long ago) that has been collecting water for - who knows how long - and my adjacent kitchen wall is bubbling, cracking, and reads 100% moisture. This is not all. It’s a very moisture ridden, crawl and attic space neglected, asbestos laden (I didn’t know better!) space and time to get out as my landlord has stated he will not remediate properly. This is the third moldy space we have been in since moving originally. I was in a moldy home for 12 years with my children and pets. It was poorly tended by the landlord and when the basement flooded and sat for 3 days my health took a major dive but I had no idea why. I was clueless about mold toxicity. After quite some time and with the help of my naturopath, Julia Hipp, I slowly uncovered the moldy truth. We embarked on a quest (no lab pun intended!) of many many lab tests and & found 8 gut issues including Hpylori, SIBO, cdiff, as well as chronic pnemonia, chronic Epstein Barr, and, probably the most insulting as a lifelong vegan: fatty liver. That’s when I finally agreed to look at mold. I did the mycotoxin urine test (after a several months long futile attempt at healing the gut issues). The most alarming result was the high levels of ochratoxins in my system. This mycotoxin is known to lead to liver damage and even liver cancer so my attention was grabbed immediately. With my own mold toxicity symptoms (they can vary for folks because of individual underlying issues and genetic makeup) I have come to know places and sensations in myself and my body that I never knew existed and honestly wouldn’t wish on anyone. I now have chronic inflammatory response syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity from prolonged exposure. In an attempt to escape the mold I have been moving from house to house (this is our third since the flooded basement) looking for a safe mold “free” home and recently became a mold inspector just to know the difference. But as a mold inspector I can say, it truly is in most if not all houses around here (even in new builds!!) Yes our climate is an issue but poor building practices paired with lack of knowledge about indoor air quality and how to keep our homes healthy, have ultimately lead us here. This is why I now need to focus on creating my own mold “free” space. My goal is to get healthy and help others do the same. I am researching both tiny homes and also trailers to see what is better in terms of mold and toxins, learning about the components that help keep a tiny space at low humidity and low moisture levels. Materials and building science matter a lot! In terms of my current health status, I recently left for a week long trip and my landlord did some improper remediation which he had agreed not to do and it has amped up my symptoms after really getting to a place where I was functioning more and started running again. This past week it’s been hard to get out of bed or even sit upright at times. I have almost called 911 twice and I have felt symptoms both new and old as well as the chronic symptoms I still have been dealing with because I have still been living in mold and until a couple weeks ago was also working in a moldy basement office space. Taking a lot of supplements and binders to pull the mold out has helped keep me at a plateau. This is equivalent to scooping the top off of a bucket that is continuously overflowing due to not only constant mold exposure but all the other toxins we are exposed to daily. My body and psyche are struggling. It’s time to get out of the mold completely. The mood and psyche are hit hard with mold and it’s devastatingly true for me and my body is also speaking louder and louder. Because of this, my ability to push myself with work has been greatly impacted, as have my finances. A friend has offered a spot on her land and I have very skilled friends available for the design and build of a mold resistant home. So here I am with the scariest question ever, humbly asking for contributions to what seems like an insane amount of money; but I can’t not ask for help anymore. My body, my mind, my soul…. need a break to heal. Will you please contribute to and/or share my gofund me and help me find health again? And then I can help others do the same. With deep humility love and gratitude, the moldy mama, Lisa
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