Re: FDRC a Colorado-based nonprofit corporation is being launched

[Guest guest]

KC and group --

Thank you for posting this, and clarifying our current position, KC.

This group should know that KC and a number of other members here have

been contributing behind the scenes for months to help bring FDRC to

fruition.

Without their contributions, this would not have been possible.

However, these are the first steps at the start of a long road -- we

have incredible support and talent for this effort, but we will have

to beat the drum long and loudly before we will become viable financially.

Until that time, we will fight the good fight on the public relations

front, and hope to provide support for victims in the near future.

Please understand our position, and allow us to continue this work in

the short term on your behalf.

Regards

Lee

Director

Fungal Disease Resource Center

http://www.fdrcinc.org

-- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2C@n...> wrote:

> COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLIMBER FOUNDS NATIONAL NONPROFIT TO AID VICTIMS

> OF TOXIC MOLD

>

> -- For immediate Release --

>

> August 2, 2005 -- Castle Rock, CO --

>

>

> Adventure sports photographer Lee has founded a

> national charitable nonprofit to aid victims made sick by toxic

> mold.

>

> , himself a recovering toxic mold poisoning victim, saw a need

> during his own battle with illness and launched the Fungal Disease

> Resource Center (FDRC) to help solve an issue recently described by

> senior congressional staff as a public health emergency.

>

> " After years of disabling illness, and with no help from doctors, I

> finally determined that mold from a home I lived in years before had

> contaminated all of my possessions, and was literally killing me, "

> said . " In November of 2003, I threw out nearly everything

> I owned, including my commercial photo library, and decided to go

> camping in the fresh air of the outdoors to recover. "

>

> The FDRC is a Colorado-based nonprofit corporation and has received

> expedited emergency application processing for 501©(3) status with

> the IRS. FDRC will raise nearly a million dollars in its first year

> for victim services and research support. " This amount of money

> won't solve all the problems in the next year, but it's going to be

> a good start " said . FDRC has recruited help from a variety

> of disciplines – doctors, Congressional staff, and legal and media

> professionals, among others – and has a vast support network

> consisting of recovering victims. " The talent base we have for this

> effort is invaluable – we're thankful for their support, guidance

> and commitment to solving this problem, " said .

>

> 's personal story is one of the reasons FDRC has attracted its

> initial support. estimates having spent over 300 nights

> outdoors in 2004, many times in subfreezing temperatures. Here, he

> found breathing clean air gave his immune system a rest, and that he

> was able to slowly recover from what he now recognizes as

> poisoning. " For people who are susceptible to this -- and new

> research shows that means almost 25% of the population -- mold in

> your home can slowly poison you, and then your immune system goes

> berserk. "

>

> In September of 2004, testified before the U.S. House of

> Representatives in support of a bill intended to aid victims of

> toxic mold. But it has been an uphill battle. Despite hand-

> delivering materials and the written testimony of hundreds of

> victims across the country to virtually every office of the U.S.

> House and many members of the Senate, there has been little response

> from lawmakers -- either in Colorado or the rest of the country.

>

> Segal, Public Affairs Director for Congressman Conyers (D-

> MI), has acknowledged the problem. In a public statement during a

> national forum conducted by the US Surgeon General in January 2005,

> he said, " We've had more calls on this than any other single issue,

> including universal health care -- since sponsoring House Resolution

> 1268 (in support of aid to toxic mold victims), we have been

> receiving at least 10 calls per day for the last three years from

> victims who are displaced, calling from motels, sick and living in

> cars, " he reports.

>

> Says . " I'm not alone in Colorado -- every week, more people

> who have been affected by toxic mold poisoning find us though our

> advocate network. Their lives are utterly destroyed -- you lose

> your health, your home and everything you own -- and no one cares. "

>

> " Everyone from small children to the elderly are dying from this --

> something has to be done. So we're going to step up and do the

> right thing until the government can see fit to do the same. But we

> can't do it alone. " The FDRC seeks public donations and public

> health grants to support its work.

>

> Leading physician researcher and FDRC Medical Director Ritchie

> Shoemaker, MD offers advice to fellow practitioners. " The acute

> and chronic illnesses caused by mold are easily diagnosed using a

> published case definition. We have effective screening, treatment

> and followup procedures -- no one should suffer needlessly from mold

> illness. For physicians, learning to identify these disorders is

> not only simple -- but also an insight into an exiting new field of

> medicine. "

>

> concludes, " People need to know that when they support the

> FDRC they are not only helping others, they are protecting

> themselves and their families with knowledge of the true health

> risks from mold. "

>

> For more information, visit the Fungal Disease Resource Center on

> the web at:

> http://www.fdrcinc.org <http://www.fdrcinc.org/>

> <http:www.fdrcinc.org> <http://www.fdrcinc.org/>

>

> We don't have any funds at the moment, so please be patient until we

> can actually provide some support services. We truly hope that we

> can help people begin to reclaim their health by providing guidance

> and accurate information.

>

> Carstens (KC)

> Moderator of:

> /

>

>

> Media contacts:

>

> FDRC media office

> (719) 429 4787

> media@f...

>

> Lee / Commercial photography site

> http://www.jonathanleewright.com

> <http://www.jonathanleewright.com/>

>

> Congressman Conyers, Jr / Link to legislation HR1269

> http://www.house.gov/conyers/mold.htm

>

> Dean Barnhart / American Family Insurance

> (800) 374 1111

> dbarnhar@a...

>

> Segal / Office of the Honorable Conyers, Jr.

> Congressman (D-MI)

> (202) 225 8928

>

> Fuller / Office of Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO)

> (212) 224 5852

> melanie_fuller@a...

>

> Ken Lane / Office of Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO)

> (202) 224 5852

> Ken_Lanesalazar_senate (DOT) gov

>

> Schick / Office of Congressman Hefly (R-CO)

> (202) 225 4442

> .Schick@m...

>

> Dunn / Assistant Attorney General of Colorado

> (303) 866 4500

> jason.dunn@s...