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Toxic Mold Exposure? In Your Home or Office? Welcome To The Most Comprehensive Toxic Mold Website On The Internet! |
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When I went thru the initial stages of my own mold crisis, I was told by local health department officials, EPA employees and two of the top allergists in my state that I was, "the first person who has ever complained of mold exposure" ... As you can imagine, this statement, which was repeated over and over to me in person, on the phone and in correspondence from the EPA & CDC after my initial calls, made me wonder just how much of a freak I truly was. Something invisible was in my home - and it made me sick, and I was the first one to ever experience it. GREAT! "Just my luck!" I thought, what do I do now? Well, I hid out for awhile at a hotel, where I was safe and could start to get healthy again. I cried a lot. I was awake a lot - too scared to sleep because I had been told that mold was growing all of the time, everywhere - all of this thinking & worrying made me too tired to concentrate enough to do research on the internet. And besides, I was too afraid of what horrible truths I might actually find if I did do the research ... I already knew that I wasn't going to get the truth from health officials or health professionals (altho I did get 13 prescriptions and one job offer to go into buildings and see if I got sick from mold, so they could save money on testing the proper way) ... "Mold is everywhere"; "Mold never made anyone sick"; "Yours is certainly an unusual case, because mold is everywhere and no one else complains"; "You are the first person to complain"; "Once water is dry, it can't hurt you"; "Yadda yadda yadda ... " What would you do if you heard this over & over from professionals and doctors? Call your friends? OF COURSE! Friends will definitely understand! <deep sigh of relief> "You have what? Mold? I have that in my bathroom and you have been here before & never got sick! Pull yourself together and call me back"; "Mold? Uh-huh. And it is making you sick? Did you say 'Mold'?"; "Well, I don't know what to say, you think that 'Mold Spores' are causing you to be sick all of the time? You know, Prozac might help you with the crazy thoughts." "You might want to get another antibiotic for that cold ... you always seem to have a cold. What's wrong with you???" "When are you going to stop talking about MOLD???" Yeah, some friends & even family members can be very supportive during this time, eh? Honestly, it isn't their fault that they don't understand. Come on! - how silly is it when someone leaves their home with just the clothes on their back, packs up the kids, the family pet and drives away from their belongings - their memories - their HOME, because of a leak, or a storm or a humidifier gone bad? Most people would say that is nuts! Infact, I remember when I first saw the story of a family on 48 hours some 36 months ago - I remember exactly where I was standing and what I was doing when I heard the story - I vividly remember thinking, "What the hell is wrong with them? Their house is killing them? They're wearing HazMat suits for the interview? That's crazy!" and I went back to my task of putting laundry away and never gave it another thought. So, I can see why my friends reacted the way they did & appeared unconcerned & even shunned me. It seems crazy to walk away from all of your belongings & to blame it all on something microscopic ... It really does. Anyway, the point of me writing this is to let you all know why MoldAcrossAmerica is here ... it is here because I spent an awful long time being sick and scared and alone and made to feel like I was crazy. That was until one night when I was given the phone number of another 'alleged" mold victim. That initial phone conversation saved my sanity. Talking to someone who now spoke the same new language I had learned over those long months since leaving my home was the most incredible thing that ever happened to me. That first conversation, me in my hotel room and my brand new friend pulling her van off of the road so we could talk, changed my perception of things. If I had mold and Michelle had mold ... maybe there were others who had mold. Circumstances and determination on Michelle's part led to publicity, which led to more local people calling and e.mailing us. One night last summer for some reason, we had cause to be in her kitchen with her adorable son when the phone rang. She handed it to me and said, "this woman is from Louisiana and her mother has mold in her house and the dog is sick." MoldAcrossAmerica was conceived that night. It took quite some time for us to get everything together, but we did it and we're not going anywhere. We're here because we care. Everyone exposed to mold reacts differently. Every body is different. My symptomolgy is acute, whereas yours might take days or weeks, months or years of exposure before it manifests itself into something that will get your attention & cause you to seek medical intervention. Everyone who detoxifies from mold exposure does so in a different manner & at a different pace. I chose to do so in a holistic and natural way, as many people do. Many people we talk to do it under the care and guidance of a medical doctor, using prescribed medications. Every method is different and every patient who chooses to detoxify their system should do as much research as they can & should talk to others who have done it. It is important to make an informed decision about detoxification. The liver & the lymphatic systems are overtaxed in a body that has been exposed to toxins and care must be taken to not put anymore strain during the cleansing process. (BE CAREFUL! Even some completely natural methods can be hard on the liver & lymphatic system - just because something is 'all natural' or 'herbal' does not make it SAFE.) Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. Our library is carefully researched by caring volunteers from around the country. The links contained herein are not links to products or services, they are links to reliable sources of verifiable information on the TECHNICAL, HEALTH & REGIONAL aspects of mold (to name a few). If there are informational websites that you feel we may have overlooked or not gotten to yet, please send them to us. Everyone involved with MoldAcrossAmerica is either a mold victim or survivor. No one collects a salary or compensation in any way, shape or form. The people who talk on the phone to new callers, the board members, everyone in our volunteer network, including myself, is an unpaid volunteer. We do not accept 'kick-backs' and are well aware that some people find that to be a rather silly way to do business. But, we just don't believe in that sort of thing. We do get donations and contributions from our own communities as well as from around the country. We do not ask for, nor do we accept contributions from victims of mold exposure. We do not ask for, nor do we expect anything in return from the people that we help. We come from different walks of life and are different colors & different religions. We enjoy different hobbies and come from different ethnic backgrounds. But, underneath it all, we are all the same ::: human beings with hopes and dreams, fears and weaknesses. And let's not forget the thing that brings us together ::: MOLD. (how's that for a bad 4 letter word?) We have all gone thru the financial hardships, the emotional crises, the embarrassment and the humiliation that comes along with mold and mold exposure. We have a common bond - something that connects us to each other. Because of our own experiences, every caller is treated with empathy, compassion and respect that can only come from someone who has been in their shoes Every e.mail is answered personally, not by an automatic response generator. If you are going thru this situation, we will see to it that you do not do it alone! Like everyone with a pulse, we have our bad days. Manning the only 24 hour support hotline for a misunderstood group like mold victims can be draining, both emotionally and physically because there are far more people affected by this than we ever thought there would be - but, we do our best to maintain a positive attitude. And sometimes, we even get to laugh along with the callers. A little positivity never hurt anyone. We have also adopted the motto ::: To help, we will do "Whatever we can do, Whenever we can do it" (we borrowed that sentiment & modified it a bit from our good friend the MoldGoddess - who is a mold survivor, advocate and educator!) We do not offer any remediation or testing products or services. Nor do we recommend or endorse products or services. (we even wrote that in to our Mission Statement) We do not condemn or criticize insurance carriers. Each mold situation is different and the insurance companies are not always at fault. It is always best to review each scenario before taking drastic measures or making judgment calls. We do not criticize, blame or hold the government of this or any other country responsible for the mold epidemic. We do not push people towards filing lawsuits. We encourage everyone to assess their individual circumstances and to take the most responsible and proactive steps towards resolving their particular situation. The media hype and sensationalism created from the high profile cases around the country have caused people to go a bit overboard at times and create a panic that is making everyone take sides. There seems to be no 'middle ground', no room for rational thought, no room for sensible people to behave in a sensible manner. It is important for us to all realize that mold is part of nature. It comes as a result of natural materials combining with each other for a reason. It is a completely necessary evil. But, it should not be growing in massive amounts inside of our homes, offices and schools! Some days I blame the mold. Some days I blame the weather and Mother Nature. Some days I blame water & moisture. However, most days I just go on making my indoor environment as unfriendly to mold as I can, because honestly, that is all any of us can do. We do see a need for education, and fully subscribe to the old adage ::: Teach a Man to Fish and He’ll Eat for a Lifetime We do strongly urge first time homebuyers and renters to get themselves educated and research their home inspector as well as investigate the property or unit they are about to buy or lease - don't be at all shy about asking questions about any aspect of the property's history of water intrusion or water damage. Do not hesitate to examine every inch of the place you are contemplating calling HOME (you can do this without being destructive). Do not hesitate to talk to neighbors, maintenance staff, or prior residents about their experiences in, on or around the property ... We urge everyone to take a look around for signs of leaks or water damage in the places where you work, live, go to school, go grocery shopping, go to church, drop your children off for daycare, etc. Big, round brown or black spots on ceiling tile is not normal - and it could mean that there is a serious water leak or other problem. Water stains on flooring or carpeting should also be a warning sign. We do have brochures available that list warning signs & common health symptoms. Please click here if you would like to be on our mailing list (please indicate if you wish to have the brochures sent to you via e.mail or snail mail - all mailing information is kept completely confidential & WILL NOT be shared in any way, shape or form). We do not promise what we cannot provide. Therefore we do not offer financial assistance. To our knowledge there is no agency or organization in place at the present time that is structured to do so. What is truly needed is something on the level of the United Way or the Red Cross, for mold victims. It will take a lot of money, a lot of organization, research and non-profit experience, (like those organizations have) to provide so much, to so many. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither were those agencies. As with any other area of life, there are always people out to make a quick dollar and to take advantage of those who are already victims. It is your right, as a consumer to investigate any agency or organization claiming that they are in a position to offer financial assistance to victims of toxic mold or any other natural disaster or crisis. MoldAcrossAmerica offers two things that we know we can deliver - educational materials (including our online library) and emotional support. 1) Education is the key to maintenance and prevention. Without education, there is no way to get this epidemic under control. 2) Every time we pick up the phone, we have something in common with the caller - and, I speak for the group when I say that we wish we didn't ... but, we do, and it is important for all of us who went thru our situations alone, to make sure that no one else does. A simple phone conversation with someone who understands you and has been there, can really make a difference. We know this to be true. In many cities, we have small groups who actually all get together and do things as a group or help one another. One of the comments I hear most frequently is that the children really benefit from the interaction with other children who are going thru the same situations (homelessness, loss of their toys, problems with schoolwork, etc). This is good to hear! A lot of these children have gone to counseling & therapy sessions and have not had as much success communicating about their situation as they have once they meet another child who is just like them! Personally, I have met dozens of individuals from my own state, as well as neighboring states - PA, MI, NY, even Toronto ... I feel blessed to have gotten to meet all of these wonderful people who I would otherwise not have had the opportunity to encounter. I very much enjoy getting together with other mold victims, even if it is just to meet for coffee or to sit and watch the sailboats on Lake Erie or to do something interesting for an afternoon in the town they live in. We may not have much in common, and may never even get together again after the initial meeting - but, I think it is important to offer & provide fellowship to one another. A brief update on our MOLD DOCUMENTARY - we are in the final stages of putting it together (finally!) ... We are in need of stories told from the perspective of people who were exposed/injured at their place of work or school. Please contact me directly if you, or someone you know would be interested in participating. This documentary will be distributed nationwide in many formats (internet, local cable outlets, on DVD & VHS, as an interactive presentation, etc) and in select cities, will even be a part of indoor air quality seminars and conferences. Stay tuned - later this month, MoldAcrossAmerica will be introducing changes that will make our vision of making a difference a reality: We have been contacted by Senators and Congresspersons, as well as City, County & State Government officials from around the country and asked if we would please provide them with information on what is really going on - this way, they can put together the facts of what is happening to their constituents as a result of mold. Later this month, we will introduce the most comprehensive survey available. If you would like to be notified when this confidential survey is ready, please contact us. MoldAcrossAmerica is not affiliated with any other company or organization unless specifically stated herein.
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© 2002-2005 MoldAcrossAmerica, Inc.
MoldAcrossAmerica is not affiliated with any other organization unless specifically stated herein.