Mold And Your Health - Iris & TLee

[Guest guest]

Great Job, Iris and TLee.

Did people notice there is a reader comment box at the end of the story? I

know Iris had asked us to let the TV station know how much we appreciate them.

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[Guest guest]

Mold And Your Health

Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 - 03:58 PM

WJBF-TV Augusta

We are bringing you a special report on toxic mold, and a local

woman who says she was poisoned by it. She's been called a fake and

a hypochondriac, but is there any truth to her claim? on

investigates in tonight's WJBF News Channel 6 Medical Report.

http://www.wjbf.com/midatlantic/jbf/news_index.apx.-content-

articles-JBF-2007-02-22-0002.html

We are bringing you a special report on toxic mold, and a local

woman who says she was poisoned by it. She's been called a fake and

a hypochondriac, but is there any truth to her claim? on

investigates in tonight's WJBF News Channel 6 Medical Report.

Toxic mold.

Fact or fiction?

Many in the medical community say it does not exist.

But there are a growing number of doctors who disagree.

Tonight, you'll meet a woman caught smack in the middle of this

medical debate.

Iris Harden is finally home.

This barely furnished apartment:

An answered prayer.

" I'm just thankful to God and to the people who have helped me "

Harden lives here with fiancee and fellow songwriter Tommy Lee

. For nearly a year, the couple was homeless.

" .......it's been a long road "

That long road Harden says begins in Harlem Georgia on Fairview

Drive.

She claims her health headed south after moving into a rental house

in 2003.

By 2005, Harden says she was in excruciating pain and had to leave.

" I was having to sleep in motels, when I ran out of funds, I was

sleeping in a cold van, or sitting in the Huddle House all night or

sleeping in a hospital emergency room because I had no place to

go "

The couple moves and begins searching for answers.

In the yellow pages, Harden finds Toole, a home inspector.

Toole takes air samples at Harden's former home, then reports his

findings.

" She had a really high elevated case of mold in her house.

Toole, Home Inspector:

" We found stachybotrus... clatasporum.. pennicillum.. and

aspirgillus. "

By moving, Iris Harden thinks she's escaped the source of their

trouble...but their troubles are just beginning.

She says their possessions cross contaminate their new mobile home.

Most items are thrown out, some remain in storage.

And once again, the couple is homeless.

They turn to a Thomson Georgia church for help.

Agape Outreach Ministries gives them food, clothes and a place to

stay.

The pastor even goes with Iris Harden to the hospital.

Pastor Margaret Sharp, Agape Ministries:

" Her eyes were swollen, her face looked like it was cooked and she

looked horrible and there really wasn't any help for her at that

time " .

After repeated trips to local doctors and hospitals, Iris turns to

the internet. She finds others who suffer from the same

symptoms..and finally convinces a local doctor to help her get a

sophisticated test called PCR. Samples of her blood and lung

secretions are sent to Immunosciences Lab in California. I talked

by phone to Doctor Ari Vojdani .

Dr. Ari Vojdani, Immunosciences Lab:

" We detected DNA of two different molds, aspergillus and

stachybotrys, in her lung, as well as her blood. " He says the

results make Iris unique and immediate treatment critical. " I

believe that if she wasn't going to be treated for the two molds by

I-V anti fugal material, she was going to die. " A skin biopsy

analyzed by Environmental Diagonostic Group in Madison Wisconsin

confirms the worst. In this report, Dr. Croft, a medical

pathologist, calls Iris Harden a " Public Health Emergency. " He says

her body was poisoned by Trichothecene Mycotoxins, produced by the

mold in her home. Desperate for help, the couple begins making

weekly trips to a medical clinic in Ashville North Carolina. They

finally find a doctor who believes them and Iris begins treatment,

much of which is done for free. So why did Iris Harden and Tommy

Lee have to journey so far from home to find medical help?

We wanted to ask that question to doctors at the Medical College

Georgia but were told by an MCG spokeswoman, that the Physicians

declined our invitation to be interviewed. She says their view is

that there is no such thing as toxic mold, people are allergic to

mold and that varies by the person.

MCG is not alone in its position.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention takes the same stance.

OSHA, another government agency, says more research is needed.

You can bet the insurance industry will be watching any new studies

carefully.

It has much to lose if toxic mold is ever accepted as fact by

mainstream medicine.

[Guest guest]

Iris and TLee, great job. thank you once again for telling your

story, getting it out there. Being living/dying poof of these

illnesses is a reality these people like MCG will have face. Little

brian fog here tonight, lost my train of thought. A thank you from

the bottom of my heart. You are great. Take care and God Bless, Darlene

>

>

> Great Job, Iris and TLee.

>

> Did people notice there is a reader comment box at the end of the

story? I

> know Iris had asked us to let the TV station know how much we

appreciate them.

>

> Reader Reaction:

> Post your comment.

>

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>

>

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[Guest guest]

I don't like the part about her being fake. I can't say any doctor

ever said that to me. Mainly the doctors told me what was wrong or they

would tell me that mold illness was out of their realm of expertise. I

did hear yeast won't hurt you but everywhere you look that is

practically fatal. Before I write a comment, I don't remember the CDC

claiming mold doesn't cause illness. Am I wrong, don't have time to

look all that up.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Mold And Your Health

>

> Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 - 03:58 PM

>

> WJBF-TV Augusta

> We are bringing you a special report on toxic mold, and a local

> woman who says she was poisoned by it. She's been called a fake and

> a hypochondriac, but is there any truth to her claim? on

> investigates in tonight's WJBF News Channel 6 Medical Report.

>

> http://www.wjbf.com/midatlantic/jbf/news_index.apx.-content-

> articles-JBF-2007-02-22-0002.html

>

[Guest guest]

I found the comment box at the bottom and sent my message! Hope it helps!

Sue

Great Job, Iris and TLee.

Did people notice there is a reader comment box at the end of the story? I

know Iris had asked us to let the TV station know how much we appreciate

them.

Reader Reaction:

Post your comment.

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