Resident: Mold causing health problems in apartment
SALISBURY, Md. -“I need my apartment back!”
Mom-to-be Vanay Christopher is fed up with the severe mold issue in her apartment. She lives at newly-built Homes on Johnson’s Pond apartment complex.
Christopher said, “When I first saw it, the stuff on my clothes and shoes, it startled me.”
She says she first discovered the mold growing on top of her fridge back in August, with the mold attaching itself to things like cereal boxes.
She also said, “Bread and stuff like that, I have to put in the refrigerator because if i don’t, it will mold before it goes bad.”
But besides the food, at 32 weeks pregnant, she’s worried the mold will affect her health.
Christopher said, “I’ve just been sitting here, waiting. It’s gotten to the point where I get headaches in the morning. I’m starting to have sore throats. I just want them to do something so that I can stay in my apartment because I can’t bring my son in here.”
She tells 47 ABC she spoke with management about the issue, and for the past three months she’s gotten nowhere.
Property managers, builders, and even H-VAC specialists haven’t been able to fix it.
Christopher said, “I’ve had so many people come into my apartment. When I call for updates, it’s like they can’t tell me anything.”
So far, the only thing her complex has done to alleviate the growing problem is install a dehumidifier- which needs constant emptying.
Christopher said, “Every 20 minutes it’s saying that the bucket needs to be refilled, but they told me not to bother with it. Stuff like this isn’t something you can just brush under the rug.”
47 ABC spoke with Frank Fudala the owner of the apartment complex and he said, “We are aware of the issue and management has been working with the resident to resolve the situation and accommodate her needs.”
After investigating this woman’s mold issue, we wanted to find out the serious health issues growing mold can have on a person if it’s ignored for too long.
We spoke with a mold expert and he says common household mold types like aspergillus and penicillium can cause cold-like symptoms.
We showed him pictures of the mold growing in Christopher’s apartment and he was unable to identify the type however he tells us the mold issue should be taken seriously to prevent her from getting sick.
Rob Sartorio, CEO Servepro Lower Shore said, “Mold, if it’s in high enough concentrations, or if its some of the toxic types of mold it can cause health issues particularly among the elderly, young kids, or even pregnant women. You can experience headaches or difficulty breathing.”
The water removal company says if you have any mold issue in your home you should reach out to them so they can test it, treat it, and most importantly, keep you healthy in your own home.
