Disturbing selfies reveal horrific impact of ‘silent killer’ that could be lurking in your home
A mother has revealed the alarming effect that exposure to household damp and mould had on her face—resulting in dramatically swollen lips and cheeks.
Joanna Hayes, 42, and her two-year-old daughter broke out in painful red rashes, blisters and extreme swelling, which they believe are linked to the grim state of their home.
Ms Hayes, from Worcestershire, was forced to call an ambulance earlier this year, when she struggled to breathe and almost lost consciousness.
Doctors at the hospital confirmed she was having an extreme allergic reaction to mould spores in her home.
This can happen when microscopic fungi particles in the air are inhaled, triggering the over-reaction of the immune system.
Ms Hayes and her daughter moved into the two-bedroom council flat in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, last June but within months the property was engulfed by black spores.
Disturbing images show mould spreading across the walls as well as shoes in the bottom of a cupboard.
Mushrooms were also visibly growing on the sofa in the damp living room.
Joanna Hayes, 42, suffered a horrific allergic reaction after living in a mould-riddled flat that was so damp mushrooms started growing on the furniture
At one stage, she was taken to hospital after her lips swelled up to twice their normal size after she went into anaphylactic shock
Ms Hayes and her two-year-old daughter broke out in painful red rashes and blisters they believe are linked to the grim state of their home
The charity worker is now too scared to enter the property and she and her daughter have been forced to sleep in their car.
‘Soon after we moved in, we noticed shadows on the walls and black mould,’ she said.
‘I initially treated it myself but the mould got worse and worse the colder it got to the point where the wallpaper was falling off.
‘When the wet weather set in, the damp and mould became more and more obvious.
‘When I open my daughter’s bedroom door in the morning, a huge wave of freezing cold air hits me.
‘There is a big patch of mould in the living room and even mould under the bed. It is everywhere.’
Mould tends to thrive in warm, humid environments and can be hard to spot in your home.
In England, approximately two million people are living in homes with significant damp and/or mould, official figures suggest.
Two-year-old Awaab died from a respiratory condition caused by black mould at his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2020
It is estimated up to 1,250 deaths in the UK every year are attributed to black mould exposure.
While there aren’t specific figures for the number of children who have died from the dangerous fungi, one poignant case is that of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in December 2020 after exposure to mould in his home.
The spores in the one-bedroom housing association flat where he lived with his parents in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, triggered a deadly respiratory condition.
Mr Abdullah repeatedly raised the issue with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) but no action was taken.
RBH said it was ‘truly sorry’ for Awaab’s death.
Ms Hayes is now demanding Community Housing, which owns the flat, to destroy the mould or find her a new home.
She added: ‘I reported it to Community Housing and the team did a mould wash, but it didn’t work and it just keeps coming back.
‘Me and my daughter have started to suffer endless chest infections and ENT issues so my two-year-old needs an inhaler.
‘She shouldn’t need an inhaler at two, she’s just exhausted.’
The mother described paramedics’ shock at the state of her home when they arrived to take her to hospital earlier this year.
She said: ‘I told the paramedics about the mould and they went into my daughter’s room. They said the conditions were unacceptable.
‘The reaction made me realise that something sinister is going on in the flat and the mould spores are having a physical impact on my health.
‘I’m in fear for my life and I can’t risk dropping down dead in the property and leaving my two-year-old to fend for herself.’
They moved into the two-bedroom flat in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, last June but within months the property was engulfed by black spores
‘I told the paramedics about the mould and they went into my daughter’s room. They said the conditions were unacceptable,’ the single mother said
‘There is a big patch of mould in the living room and even mould under the bed. It is everywhere,’ she added
She is currently having allergy tests conducted by the GP, but they have advised her to leave the property due to the health risks.
Signs of mould at home can often go undetected, but it often involves fuzzy black, white, green or black patches on the walls, and a damp and musty smell.
Inhaling or touching the spores that mould releases into the air can cause an allergic reaction, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and a skin rash.
Mould can also trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, cause coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.
The microscopic fungus causes these conditions by releasing thousands of toxic particles into the atmosphere.
Ms Hayes said: ‘My daughter has been a little trooper throughout all of this, but I need to think of her and I don’t know where else to turn.
‘I feel like we’ve been abandoned by Community Housing.’
Community Housing has apologised for the conditions in her flat and said it will continue to support her to feel ‘safe and well’ in her home.
A spokesperson said: ‘We are sorry that Ms Hayes has been experiencing problems with damp and mould in her home.
‘We have been working closely with her to rectify the problem and deal with other repairs she has reported.
‘We have further works planned to treat the affected areas and have kept Ms Hayes informed of the progress of this.
‘We will continue to support her and carry out repairs to enable her to feel safe and well in her home.’
