Just a few months after moving into a new apartment in Colorado, 28-year-old student Mercedes Brooke started losing hair, suffered from rashes and lost 7 kg. Only when her bitch Berkley started losing fur, she understood that something was wronginforms
The problem was the air conditioner above the bed, from which water dripped for months. “It lasted about three months. It was dripping right on my face,” she explained. The administrators assured her that everything was fine, but the young woman suffered more and more, she vomited blood, did not sleep and her period lasted two and a half months. “I went home for a week and all the symptoms went away. That’s when I knew it was related to my apartment.” she emphasized.
She decided to open the air conditioner and see what was behind the dripping water. There was a large amount of mold inside. “I lost half my hair. I was hospitalized several times. I didn’t sleep at all and I kept crying. I remember asking the doctor if I had an autoimmune disease or cancer. I also had blood tests done.” she remembered the worst period of her life.
They confirmed that the mold in the apartment seriously threatened her health. Doctors and family warned her that if she did not leave the apartment, her condition would continue to deteriorate. She sent hundreds of messages to the administrator over several months before making up her mind leave the apartment. The student then filed a lawsuit against the property manager for living in an uninhabitable environmentwhich was settled in July last year.
Mercedes claims that she has already recovered, her hair is growing and the rashes are gone. Today, she speaks openly about her experience and urges others not to be afraid to speak up. “They told me I was dramatic. But I felt like the apartment was slowly killing me,” he claims. She is convinced that the situation could have been avoided simply by replacing the broken unit. “If you’ve done everything you can and you’re still being ignored, you have to fight.” refers to those who find themselves in a similar situation.
According to experts, mold in the interior is not only an aesthetic problem. The NHS warns that molds can cause allergies, asthma, infections and even psychological problems. Long-term exposure to moisture and mold go hand in hand with a higher risk of asthma, respiratory infections (including aspergillosis), allergies, immune disorders and psychological problems. Research suggests that living in a moldy environment can increase the risk of developing asthma by up to 50 percent.
