Re: letter to Oprah-never responded

[Guest guest]

Teri,

i hear that she is planning a show. I will try to

touch base with her as a coalition. If we could get

one of you Canadians to join our Coalition you can

send a person to the show as a spokesperson if we get

on. Awareness is our first line of defense, public

exposure our second, along with legislation moves.

We intend to approach our congress this year. i just

found out that Ed McMahon will be here in Branson, Mo.

where our home office is for the National Toxic Mold

Coalition in October 2002, that is when we have our

National Convention. I hope someone up there, can come

for it. i just got through writing and emailing him.

If we can get one of you to join the Coalition then we

can make an appointment to that person as an Honorary

Caolition Board Member and contact representative for

your area of Canada. We can have a Canandian Branch

of our Coalition and Foundation. It is imperative

that the numbers be heard and stick together. No one

should go through this nightmare alone.

Carroll-Bower, NTMC

www.geocities.com/marbme12/NTMC.html

--- barkwell <_Barkwell@...> wrote:

> Apparently Oprah never responded to this letter by

> Carmen Maretic.

> Teri

>

>

> April 5, 2000

>

>

> The Oprah Winfrey Show

>

> PO Box 909715

>

> Chicago, Illinois

>

> USA 60690

>

>

>

> Dear Ms. Winfrey and/or Staff:

>

>

>

> Would your show be interested in helping more than

> 100,000+ British Columbians, countless Canadians and

> Americans in all fifty states?

>

>

>

> My name is Carmen Maretic. I am a Realtor in

> Vancouver, British Columbia who discovered many of

> my clients were having enormous repair costs on new

> and newer homes. These repairs have threatened

> their independence, their health and their future.

> The effects of this situation are so devastating on

> homeowners that I felt a sense of duty to do what I

> could to assist them. As a result, in November of

> 1997 I began advocating on behalf of affected

> homeowners. Two and half years later it has become

> the most costly construction crisis in Canadian

> history (possibly North American) - an estimated $1

> billion+ problem. The media has dubbed it " the

> " leaky condo crisis " . What it really means is that

> buildings, built incorrectly are taking in water,

> which rot the main structural components of the

> building, creating unsound homes. Further this

> moistened environment can produce mould (Americans'

> spell it mold) and horrifying health affects.

>

>

>

> A story called " Invisible Killers " on the American

> television program- 48 Hours struck me. It detailed

> the effects of mould on two American families. A

> family in the suburbs of Austin, Texas, The

> Ballards, were forced to abandon and will eventually

> bulldoze their mansion and belongings due to mould

> contamination. Mrs. Ballard (Melinda) was coughing

> up blood, and her husband Ron developed brain damage

> and was forced to resign from his position as an

> investment banker. Their son Reese developed asthma,

> permanent scarring of his lungs and could suffer

> from the same neurological damage as his father.

> Their physicians, Dr. Strauss from Texas Tech

> University a leading mould expert and Dr. Eckhard

> Uhaney from Albany, New York both believe The

> Ballards' have suffered from exposure to

> Stachybotrus mould in their home.

>

>

>

> In southern California, and Licon

> believe their mould contaminated leaky condominium

> has caused their six children to develop symptoms

> from headaches, seizures, nose bleeds, breathing

> difficulties and dizziness. The family left their

> home for seven months to allow professionals (fitted

> with face masks, goggles, gloves, boots and body

> suits) to remove the spores and mould. Away from

> their home the children's symptoms subsided only to

> reoccur shortly after moving back into their

> condominium. The experts discovered that the mould

> and spores had resurfaced.

>

>

>

> Can Stachybotrus kill? Dr. Deerborne from Cleveland

> Rainbow Children's Hospital studied 29 children

> exposed to Stachybotrus mould in depth. Five of

> twenty-nine children studied died of bleeding lung

> disease. The Centers of Disease Control dispute the

> link between the deaths and toxic mould, however,

> Moriarty the reporter on this 48 hour program

> commented that . . . " this leaves little question

> that Stachybotrus mould found in all 50 states is a

> health hazard. "

> .../2

>

> Page 2

>

>

>

> The coastal climate of British Columbia, Canada

> possesses the largest concentration of homes and

> buildings ( including schools and hospitals ) hit

> with water damage in North America. The effects are

> staggering. Little is understood about Stachybotrus

> and other toxic moulds. Homeowners could

> unknowingly continue to reside in homes which are

> health hazards. A provincial government inquiry

> into this debacle, The Barrett Commission, expressed

> concern over the potential health effects to both

> homeowners and workers repairing these homes. The

> commission also reported other effects including

> attempted suicides, unprecedented bankruptcies,

> sleepless nights, divorces, jobs losses --all

> related to the pressure of excessive repair bills.

> In one condominium building, 11 seniors in a 42-unit

> complex died after discovering that their newer

> building required repairs to the tune of $100,000.00

> per unit. In discussions with the owners in this

> building, many feel the stress of their situation

> contributed to these seniors' deaths.

>

>

>

> Governments and builders hiding behind numbered

> companies have done very little to relieve the

> burden on affected homeowners despite the findings

> of The Barrett Commission of Inquiry. The commission

> concluded that failure to provide meaningful and

> immediate assistance to affected homeowners could

> easily double direct assistance costs. The media has

> been reluctant to appear " anti-business " and has

> inadequately covered this story documented to have

> existed as far back as the 1960s. Homeowners - cash

> strapped, emotionally and physically exhausted -

> are left to fight this battle with little support

> and public understanding. The ability to rely upon

> the basics - shelter and healthy living conditions -

> is being taken from hard working, law-abiding

> citizens-the backbone of our communities and

> society.

>

>

>

> The dedicated efforts of full time volunteers has

> done very little to relieve the human suffering.

> Perhaps this letter could lead to a broader

> understanding and political will to stop this

> preventable human tragedy in the United States and

> Canada.

>

>

>

> I have been a fan of your good work and program for

> many years. I believe this subject being covered on

> your program has the potential to have unparalleled

> impact on public awareness of this problem. I pray

> that you will be willing to help.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Sincerely yours,

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> __________________________

>

> Carmen Maretic

>

> Realtor and Homeowner Advocate

>

> Res: (604) 469-8539

>

> Fax: (604) 469-7139

>

> Pager: (604) 623-7667

>

>

>

> P.S. The names of the doctors and families may be

> spelled incorrectly.

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________