Programs

Nonprofit advocacy and support for victims of mold-related illness

Home | Support | Contact

Programs

"Mold is the greatest Public Health threat of the 21st century"

Dr Simone Sommer, in testimony before the US House of Representatives

FDRC: A dire need for victims of toxic mold illnesses

The current public health emergency represented by fungal infestations of buildings and associated illnesses is an unprecedented threat. Not only are the human costs of immune and neurological system disorders incalculable, the potential economic repercussions of broad defaults in the mortgage industry are serious.

There is evidence that tens of thousands in this country are now disabled from fungal overexposures, with possibly upwards of a multiple of six figures of people who are affected to a lesser degree. It has also been stated in national testimony before the US House of Representatives that there exists a potential for 40 million in the United States alone to be at risk for overexposure, owing to genetic predispositions, construction design and materials deficits.

Opposition is being rallied to defend liabilities. Insurance companies now exclude all mold related damages. Counter to the historical victims advocacy of the Indoor Air Quality testing industry, Professsional Experts armed with Industrial Hygene certifications now defend corporate interests, as in recent Tobacco lawsuits. A recently published document from the activist group Policyholdersofamerica.com notes that in 2003 -- based on figures obtained from the insurance industry itself --19,700 mold claims were filed nationally, of whom 8,200 claimants were indicated as to having gone on to file personal bankruptcy. With 4.5 people per family, this suggests that as many as 35,000 people in this country may have become homeless and disabled because of mold poisoning in the year 2003 alone. The potential number of undiagnosed illnesses are certainly far higher.

Overexposure to Toxigenic Fungi in Built environments can result in death or resulting illness from immunological dysregulation or infection, and has a uniform situational result for those unfortunate enough to be affected. Not only does the sufferer endure disabling illness, often in the form of permanent neurological or other organ damage, but the contaminated environment is often the subjects home -- whether owned, or in the case of many, rented (and public housing is not excepted) -- the home being the actual cause of debilitating symptoms, and rendering the one place where a person is supposed to be able to recover from illness uninhabitable. In almost all cases, once a person becomes intolerant of fungal exposures, all physical possessions that have been contaminated have to be disposed of as well. The end result is a disease of environmental causation that causes permanent illness, loss of home, possessions, and the ability to work. The insurance industry now excludes any claims for damages related to mold or fungus, leaving victims in the aforementioned physical condition in the legal fight of their lives.

Despite overwhelming evidence of scientific research indicating clear associations of fungal overexposure with disease symptoms, both government and industry have taken a position of lack of acknowledgement, stalling actions or flat denial of the issue. It is the opinion of the FDRC that much of the messaging that exists in the lay media and that is being presented to legislators is being produced and distributed by industry lobbyists and public relations "Front Groups". These groups provide a distorted view of the issue, funding special-interest influenced studies, or through poring over independant research to glean any inconclusive findings in mountains of objective study. This information is then agressively promoted to legislators with the intent of influencing public health policy on fungal disease to favor commercial interests. There exists a need to counter this tide of information to accurately reflect the truth about the health dangers of fungal overexposures.

We propose to organize a nonprofit public health support resource that will address this need by providing direct financial assistance to victims for emergency shelter, clothing, appropriate medical care and medicine for victims who have been displaced and disabled from illness. We also propose to provide objective informational materials, to legislators and the general press, and to educate the public with direct programs. We currently are receiving support for our actions from certain offices of the US House of Representatives, public relations firms with legislative influence in Washington, DC, and have access to enormous amounts of peer-reviewed studies and technical synopses from qualfied researchers, and from staff of federal regulatory agencies that would support this.