Mould drives Stony family from home

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Mould drives Stony family from home

Jodie Sinnema, Journal Staff Writer

Edmonton Journal

Thursday, August 01, 2002

The Journal

Kathie and Dale Derman with three of their children -- Mike, Rob and

-- and nephew , in front of the mould-infested Stony Plain

house they can no longer live in.

Today, Kathie and Dale Derman are hoping to get permission to destroy their

house, contents and all, including the handmade hope chest sitting at the

foot of their bed, and the GI Joe set in the basement.

" I get too emotional thinking about it, " said Kathie, her voice breaking as

she talked about the house in which she spent eight years of her married

life, but has refused to live in since January.

" It feels very strange. It was home, even with all the sicknesses we had

while living there. "

The family was forced out of their Stony Plain home by a mould they believe

was making them sick.

Unable to fight the slimy black fungus silently spreading under the windows,

in the corners and infecting the air, they took only the clothes on their

back, some business books, dishes and a Bible, whose pages were treated with

UV light.

Lab results from the University of Alberta confirmed the toxic mould was

stachybotrys.

It is a mould that some medical and environmental experts believe attacks

the immune system. And ever since, the family has been trying to get their

bank's approval to remove their house from its foundation, and have it

burned by county firefighters in a training exercise.

Derman, 14, wants to be the one to light the last match. He has

already taken a baseball bat to a basement wall to vent his frustration.

While many moulds are harmless, experts suggest stachybotrys inhibits

blood-cell formation, causes nosebleeds and diarrhea, poor concentration and

chronic fatigue, even bleeding.

Two years ago, when Derman started bruising spontaneously, a doctor

found out her blood platelet count was dangerously low. The seven-year-old

girl has had numerous ear and bladder infections.

Derman, 11, suffered from an enlarged spleen and liver and lost

seven pounds.

" I sometimes felt it was all in our heads. I thought we were losing our

ability to cope with life, " Kathie said. " There is no way I'm going back now

that I have tasted health for the last four months. "

ATB Financial, formerly known as Alberta Treasury Branches, holds the

mortgage on the home, and while it has temporarily suspended the monthly

fees, payments were to resume today.

Kathie said a bank official said he's trying to get written demolition

approval for the family to destroy the home, and an additional three-month

reprieve on the mortgage payments.

If that doesn't happen, Kathie said she and Dale will have to turn over the

house keys to the bank, because the family can't afford the mortgage and the

rent for their temporary apartment. The insurance company has cancelled the

Dermans' policy.

Kathie doesn't believe gutting the house is a viable option. She said mould

spores released into the air are dangerous, citing research that suggests

stachybotrys is the main ingredient in yellow rain, a germicidal warfare

weapon allegedly used in Vietnam. And demolition would cost more than

rebuilding and would be dangerous for neighbours, Kathie said. " Burning it

is the only way to get rid of the microtoxins. "

Kathie said she has supplied the bank with proof that there's sufficient

materials and money to build a new house. Companies, schools, churches and

individuals have donated plumbing equipment, shingles, drywall for the

framing, insulation, labour and furniture. Dale is a carpenter and would

like to build a new house, with help from volunteers, by December.

People have given them money to replace some of the items that were thrown

out because of the fear of contamination. Kathie said everything that could

survive a 10 per cent bleach solution has been salvaged.

She hopes family photos, stored in Tupperware containers and sitting in

storage sheds, can be scanned into a computer, then dumped. " My life is

still rich and full. I don't feel destitute -- just materially. "

STACHYBOTRYS MOULD

- Stachybotrys chartarum is a slimy, greenish-black fungus found most often

in water-damaged homes. The mould has been shown to deplete the immune

systems of laboratory animals. Typically, it grows on material with high

cellulose content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust and lint

that has become chronically moist. While it's alive, the spores are trapped

in a wet, slimy mass of fungus. Spores become airborne when the fungus dies

and dries up.

- Its health effects were first noted in the 1930s in Russian and Eastern

European farm animals, especially horses, that ate mouldy hay. Symptoms were

first seen in humans who handled the mouldy straw or hay.

- If the spores are released into the air, they may cause coughing,

wheezing, a runny nose, irritated eyes or throat, skin rash, fatigue or

diarrhea in humans.

CELEBRITY MOULD

- Brockovich, an environmental activist who has been immortalized on

the big screen by , is campaigning for legislation in the U.S.

that would set standards or exposure limits for mould. Her Los Angeles

mansion was infected with stachybotrys mould and left Brockovich with sinus

headaches, watery eyes and fatigue. She has spent more than $600,000 US on

repairs.

- Dale Derman from Stony Plain spoke with Brockovich on a national radio

talk show.

- Ed McMahon, ny Carson's sidekick, found mould in his Beverly Hills

home after a burst pipe was poorly repaired. McMahon links the death of his

dog, Muffin, to the mould and is suing his insurance company for $20

million.

© Copyright 2002 Edmonton Journal