Family claims mold a killer: Say addition made house a 'sick building'

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Family claims mold a killer: Say addition made house a 'sick building'

by Dave Wedge

Monday, February 25, 2002

An Abington family who lost a 6-month-old child to bacterial meningitis and

was made sick by toxic mold spores under their house has enlisted the

services of noted environmental activist Brockovich.

Dean and Patrice say tests done on their home showed dangerously high

levels of toxic mold which they contend made them and their children sick.

While it can't be proven whether the Stachybotrys mold contributed to the

death of their youngest son, , the couple says one doctor told them it's

possible and studies have shown the toxic spores can lead to sudden death in

infants and acute lung bleeding, among other ailments.

``There's really no way to prove that's how my son passed away but I know,''

said Dean , head chef at the Top of the Hub restaurant. ``We're a

pretty healthy family and all of a sudden, we're all getting sick. When we

started putting all of these things together, it was all bacteria.''

died on Valentine's Day 1996, but that was only the tragic beginning of

the family's problems.

Dean had a nerve disorder in his neck that his doctor said was caused

by a bacterial infection.

Patrice , a house cleaner, was afflicted with an immunity system

deficiency that led to several bouts with pneumonia.

The doctors told her it was caused by bacteria. Their three children -

Deanna, 10; Mikaela, 5; and a, 3 - came down with strange rashes. Even

their cocker spaniel got sick.

But it was when Mikaela was stricken with a mild heart condition that the

couple panicked.

``She came to me one day and said she had a `beeping' in her heart,'' Dean

said. ``They couldn't really tell what it was. The only thing they

could trace it to was a bacterial infection that attacked her heart.''

Frantic to figure out what was happening to their family, the couple had

their water tested by the town but the tests came back normal.

Dean , suspecting they were living in a ``sick'' house, went into the

basement and peered under an addition built on the home 18 years ago and

found ``black mold spores everywhere.''

They quickly had the house inspected by a mycology lab and were shocked that

the tests were ``off the charts,'' he said.

``The place was just covered with mold and it was the bad kind of mold. The

worst,'' he said.

The s were advised to move out of the addition immediately, rip up the

floors and rugs and pour a cement slab to replace the mold-saturated

particle board floor. The room is now vacant and the couple is still trying

to scrape up money to tear down the walls and rebuild the addition so the

mold is completely gone.

Safety Insurance denied their homeowners' claim, so on the advice of a

friend, Patrice e-mailed Brockovich, who put them in touch with the

Boston law firm, Hugo and Pollack.

Attorney Stanley Helinski, who is handling the s' case, said exposure

to the mold ``can lead to chronic or acute ailments.'' The law firm is

reviewing the case.

Safety spokesman Rice said company officials are prohibited from

discussing possible litigation.

The s say all they want is assistance to meet the surging repair costs.

``I'm not trying to pinpoint blame. We just think we should get some help,''

Patrice said. ``I spent all last year in the hospital with my husband

and Mikaela. We walked around dizzy for two years. All of a sudden, we found

the mold and we're getting better.''

Brockovich, made famous when she was portrayed by actress in

the 2000 movie `` Brockovich,'' is a single mother from California with

no legal background who investigated toxic chromium leaks in California.

Her grassroots probe led to a $333 million settlement with Pacific Gas &

Electric Co. that was split between 600 residents in Hinkley, Calif. It is

the largest-ever toxic pollution settlement.

There have been several toxic mold lawsuits filed across the county in

recent years, including a multimillion dollar class action suit brought by

78 Nevada state workers; a suit filed by 19 Baton Rouge, La., casino

workers; and a $100 million suit against a Denver realtor by tenants at four

federally-subsidized San Francisco housing projects.

Brockovich, 41, herself became a victim of toxic mold when she couldn't

shake flu-like symptoms and was informed that Stachybotrys - ``deadly black

mold'' - festered under her million dollar California home.

She tore up parts of the home and is suing the builder to recoup her

abatement costs.