What is Mold?
Mold is a type of fungi, and can be found all over the world. Mold requires one thing to grow: moisture. When given moisture, it can grow on all sorts of surfaces including carpet, insulation, wood, drywall and wallpaper. The mold will grow and produce mycotoxins, which are poisonous. When these mycotoxins release into the air and a human inhales them, this is where the problems start. Susan believes that her family's problems increased after the heat pump was replaced because the water supply was cut off to the mold. "When you cut off the water source to mold, its spores start looking for water," she says. "So during that time we had high concentrations of sporing toxic mold in the air."

A few of the molds that can be hazardous to humans are penicillium, stachybotrys, paecilomyces, aspergillus and fusarium.

Keeping Your Home Mold-Free
The key to keeping your home mold-free is to prevent water contamination and water damage, according to Dr. Farber. "Identify and fix plumbing and roof leaks. Make sure that there are not sources of moisture or mold in the heating or air conditioning system," he says. Dr. Farber also says bathrooms and kitchens should be well ventilated, and not to use a humidifier, which can increase mold growth.

Homes need to maintain proper humidity levels, according to Gorman. "They (homes) need to have vapor barriers in basements or properly installed when building," she says. "There needs to be fresh air intake, and Hepa quality air filters so pollen and mold spores are removed from indoor air." Gorman says to look out for sweating windows and water condensation, which is a sign of poor ventilation and improper humidity levels. Air condition drip pans and coils should be maintained and inspected to keep mold-free, and it's a good idea to have climate control inspections every six months to ensure your home is healthy.

If you do find mold, Dr. Farber says the first thing you should do is find and repair the source of the moisture. "Second, remove all water damaged items," he says. "And third, clean the affected area with soap and water, then rinse with a solution of one part household bleach to four parts water." Dr. Farber says you should wear protective gloves when doing this. This is good for small areas of mold, but what if it's a large area, or in your walls?

Gorman says that if you suspect mold contamination, the amount of mold must be quantified. "So, mold air tests are the first item of business," she says. If mold is found, Gorman says to contact a mold remediation firm; one can be recommended by the Health Department or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Susan contacted her homeowners insurance company and they sent out an environmental company to test her home.

After the tests confirmed toxic mold, a remediation company wrote up a plan for the Chicks on how to get rid of it. Their home was packed up -- and torn up. Everything in the home must be cleaned, if possible, or disposed of. "We know in our house so far the garage and adjoining utility room will be torn out," says Susan. "Our entire kitchen will be torn out. The wall between our living room and master bath. The entire master bath. They won't know how much extra will be torn out until they get in there and start tearing to see how far the mold has gotten."

A Breath of Fresh Air
The good news is that since leaving their home to live in a rental, the Chicks' health has improved dramatically. Michael's muscle soreness is gone, as well as his sinus problems and headaches, and his concentration is improving. Susan says that immediately after moving out, her muscle soreness and fatigue improved. Her short-term memory is much better now, and her concentration has improved enough that she has returned to her hobby of Web design.

The children's health has also improved. Seth, who was on seizure medication, is now off the medication and seizure-free. "His motor skills have improved some, but speech and social skills remain a huge obstacle," says Susan. He is in a program offered by their school district for speech therapy, and he also sees a private speech therapist twice a week and an occupational therapist once a week. The Chicks also found out later that Seth is extremely allergic to penicillin, and after testing, it was found that their home contained high concentrations of penicillium (from which penicillin is derived).

William has also improved dramatically. "Three days after moving out of the house he was rolling over to his stomach and his reflux was gone! He immediately turned into a sweet-natured, happy, smiling baby boy," says Susan. Within a month he was crawling. William still receives physical and occupational therapy. The newest problem is that he has stopped being able to digest food and is on a specialized formula and is not growing. "It is our understanding that this is a common problem with toxic mold," she says.

The Chicks' Health Today
While there were some initial improvements in the Chicks' health after leaving what Susan calls "the toxic environment," they continue to have problems. Both Michael and Susan were diagnosed with Epstein-Barr, a virus responsible for a number of diseases including infectious mononucleosis. The Chicks traveled to Houston, Texas to be tested by Dr. Andrew W. Campbell at the Center for Immune, Environmental and Toxic Disorders. "Dr. Campbell did extensive neurological, blood and other tests," says Susan. "He has determined that I have neurological damage to my auditory nerve, sensory neuropathy and severe pulmonary restriction. I have de-mylenization -- the protective coating coming off my nerves, similar to MS patients."

Susan says that according to the tests, she has eight kinds of toxic mold growing inside of her body, with the highest concentration being stachybotrys. Susan is on weekly IV treatments of immunoglobulin. Michael and Seth have similar problems and are on prescription medications. William is the healthiest of the family, which the doctor attributes to Susan's breastfeeding. "Thanks goodness for breastfeeding, despite his neurological problems that nearly made it impossible," she says.

As of February 2002, the Chicks are still living in a rental home, but their house is coming along. "The house has been remediated and now tests negative for mold, so we are in the process of getting bids on the 'build-back' phase," says Susan.

Remember: mold needs moisture to grow. Know your house. If you've had -- or suspect you've had -- a water leak, have it checked for mold contamination. While the majority of people have no reactions to mold exposure, the possible risks are too serious not to take precautions. Just ask the Chicks.

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About the Author: Donna Smith is a senior editor for iParenting Media and the mother of three.