One of our members, Lee

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http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2415523,00.html

Article Published: Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Fighting a growing problem

Sick Colo. man to lobby in Washington on dangers of mold

By Kieran Nicholson

Denver Post Staff Writer

Post / Epperson

Photographer Lee , shown in his camp near Estes Park,

blames mold in his apartment in Salida for these symptoms: arthritis,

diarrhea, severe headaches, chest pain and blurred vision. He now

lives outside to try to recover from the maladies.

Coloradan Lee now calls the great outdoors his home,

not because of his love for the land or nature, but because he says

toxic molds forced him from his apartment.

, a professional photographer who has put his career on hold,

is scheduled to speak Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to draw

attention to mold and the health problems it causes.

For , recovering from " mold toxicity " means living outdoors to

prevent further exposure and to allow him to recharge his weakened

immune system.

" I will do anything to get over this, " said recently at a

campsite in Roosevelt National Forest near Estes Park.

Since becoming ill in June 2000, has suffered from arthritis,

diarrhea, severe headaches, chest pain, liver pain, blurred vision,

fatigue, numbness, tremors, hives and rashes, he said.

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first became ill when he lived in a Salida apartment. He moved

out after seven months, but his health problems continued. After

numerous doctor visits and his own research, he said, he believes he

suffers from a severe reaction to mold.

In recent years, extreme mold cases have been reported in more humid

states, but molds are also showing up in relatively dry Colorado.

Molds form and grow in water-rich environments, such as bathrooms

that aren't properly ventilated and buildings that have extreme or

long-term water damage.

The Tri-County Health Department, which serves , Arapahoe and

counties, fields about 3,000 calls a year from residents

concerned about mold.

" We see a lot more concern about mold, " said Chuck McCammon, a

certified industrial hygienist who works for Tri- County.

Typically the department advises people on remediation efforts, which

focus on cleanup and getting rid of the moisture source.

Last month, mold forced 640 students out of Middle School

in Elbert County and into another building.

District officials decided to close the school as a precaution after

some teachers complained about headaches.

Dr. Pacheco, an occupational allergist with National Jewish

Medical and Research Center in Denver, said medical studies link

molds to specific illnesses, such as asthma and inflammations of the

lung, nose and sinus.

But she said she isn't convinced that mold exposure can cause wider,

long-term illnesses such as 's.

and others, however, are going to Washington in hopes of

influencing future legislation by persuading Congress that molds can

be deadly.

Dr. Simone Sommer, a medical doctor from Greensboro, N.C., agrees

there are a number of people, such as , who have suffered

debilitating illnesses.

" There are cohorts of people who have been exposed in schools, homes

and the workplace, " said Sommer, a member of the Mold Advocacy

Prevention Education and Research coalition. " There needs to be more

research. "

A study released in May and funded by the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention did recognize an " uncommon ailment known as

hypersensitivity pneumonitis " associated with mold exposure

in " genetically susceptible people. "

puts himself in this group.

He has washed and scrubbed most of his belongings and locked them in

a storage facility and says he is about 90 percent healthy now.

Before getting sick, was an adventure sports photographer who

specialized in mountain climbing shots.

" I lived the most active lifestyle, " he recalled. " But I went from

rappelling ... mountains to being terrified by what was in my storage

locker. "

Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at

knicholson@... or 303-820-1822.

To learn more

For information on mold remediation and associated illness, contact

your local health department or access its website on the Internet.

The Tri-County Health Department website is at www.tchd.org