Toxic Mold - It CAN Poison You...

Mold Poisoning - A National Epidemic

2008-03-01T19:13:00.001-08:00

Healthy Living Magazine shared our story in an effort to let people know how serious mold poisoning is. My husband and I were poisoned by trichothecene, have documented stachybotrystoxicosis, aspergillosis, and a systemic candidas infection.

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Our Toxic Injuries - Photos

2008-02-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

Toxic Mold

2007-12-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

Presentation on toxic mold, case studies, no doubt of the serious health effects..

Songwriter's Toxic Nightmare - See Video - ABC News

2007-08-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Living dying dreams in Ga...Forced to abandon our home, possessions, clothes, photos, everything.. our music studio a fading memory in toxic storage bin.. a journey we never imagined! Toxic mold stole our health & nearly our lives. Please be warned, mycotoxins are deadly & can affect anyone! Sickbuildings make people sick.

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Please Sign The "Impact Of Mold Illness" Petition

2007-08-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

We appreciate every signature. Only by joining together can our voices be heard.

Impact of Mold Illness Petition

Toxic Mold - Wall Street Exposes Conflict Of Interest - Victim Speaks Out

2007-08-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

ACOEM papers written with bias? Did authors have a vested interest? Is the plausibilty of indoor molds affecting one's health without merit? As many suffer mold induced illnesses, is this just a ploy to deny legitimate claims? Wall Street investigation leads to story. Victim shares photos of injuries. Does the rat study make any sense?

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Mold In Bible - Saddam - Photos Show Injury

2007-08-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andrew Campbell and recent victim of toxic mold share history, symptoms, photos of mold induced injury; what to look for in adverse health effects. Even in Bible days they knew how dangerous mold was. It's stealing the innocent lives of people all over the nation. This is just one example. Please take it serious. Iris & Tlee

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CDC | Case Definition: Trichothecene Mycotoxin Poisoning

2007-08-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

CDC | Case Definition: Trichothecene Mycotoxin Poisoning

Hidden Danger In Your Home?

2007-06-04T01:40:00.001-07:00

Could there be a hidden danger in your home? WJBF News Channel 6's Mary Morrison investigates.

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Please Support Our Music..

2007-05-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

We hope our music will bring you hope and inspiration. While trying to recover & rebuild our own lives, we also want to be a support to others who suffer. We released 3 CDs including a 911 Tribute just prior to our diagnosis and loss of possessions. But our pledge from CD sales to promised charities will still be honored. We appreciate your love & support. Gotta sing while the music's playing; dance while there's still a song; pray while there's time for praying; for we're here today, but tomorrow we're gone! See CDs below..

At : Air Traffic Controller Sick From Tower

2007-04-27T16:28:00.001-07:00

Employee sick from deplorable conditions with Tower at Detroit Metro; Other emloyees sick and making cognitive errors within the toxic tower. FAA sends termination papers to employee? For getting sick from his workplace? Is the air space unsafe? It's time to take action.

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Mold Health Conference Held In Ga.

2007-04-25T13:40:00.001-07:00

We did it! This seminar led us to many mold-sickened people in Ga. and Carolina. Dr. Andrew Campbell, Iris and Tlee saw victims, indoor air people, realtors and others show great concern over mold/mycotoxins. With over 80 people present, Dr. Campbell shared insight to a national health crisis! Many lose health, homes and careers due to mold-contamination. School children, Veterans, Katrina victims, the public - Sickbuildings can make you very sick. There was such a big response we will begin Mold Support Group Meeting in the near future, so we can help one another. There's also some other major breakthroughs in the works which may help anyone be able to get tested and treated for mold illness. We give God and the power of prayer all the credit. Iris, Tlee and Kim

We appreciate local sponsors for the amphitheater and thank mold victim, Kimberly Moody for helping us. We were honored to speak about toxic mold along with Dr. Campbell on some wonderful talkshows. We'll keep you updated to time and place for next meetings. God bless you all. By coming together we can beat this! Thanks for prayers and support...

Agape Outreach Houses Toxic Mold Victims

2007-04-22T20:00:00.001-07:00

True story - song lyrics from the heart; Poisoned, forced to abandon possessions, homeless, hopeless; ministry takes us in. Countless others losing health, homes, careers due to mold related illness. Even children get no medical care or assistance. Photos show the real face of toxic mold; Lyrics share Agape Love. A must to see for yourself.

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Toxic Mold _ Wall Street Uncovers Conflict Of Interest

2007-04-22T19:58:00.001-07:00

Please Sign The Impact of Mold Illness Petition

2007-03-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

We appreciate every signature. Only by joining together can our voices be heard.

Impact of Mold Illness Petition

Face Of Toxic Mold

2007-03-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Toxic mold and T2 toxins caused burns and blisters to face, eyes and body organs. Poisonous vapors nearly killed me. Drs. would not believe me. Do not let your life and health be destroyed by toxic mold.

Personal Story - Toxic Mold

2007-03-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Aristo Vojdani shared our diagnosis on ABC News. But the sad reality is a widespread environmental illness affecting lives all over the world.

We do appreciate the media. It takes courage and character to speak out when powerful entities are fighting you. But please read our personal story below. You may recognize some of the symptoms or scenarios. I hope the impact is great enough that you take toxic mold serious.

In the darkness of the midnight, may I be a shining light.

I’m living dying proof – it’s time to break the mold. It’s Reality - Not Allergy!

I sadly share the story of Iris and Tommy Lee Brooks. We are victims of toxic mold. We’re also victims of deadly trichothecene poisoning. I never thought I’d be writing such a tragic article. Tlee and I are lifelong songwriters and musicians. However, life as we once knew is a fading memory. Our health has been adversely affected with immune dysfunction disorder, multiple organ damage and near cellular death. By medical science we should not be living. Only faith and the grace of God can restore our health. Life’s journey down the road of physical, emotional, and financial destruction has been a long one. However, we remain strong in spirit and pray for a brighter tomorrow.

As far as mold related illnesses, we’re very concerned about the lack of concern. We want to help other victims. We also hope sharing our tragedy will prevent many from falling prey to this silent killer. Though I’ve shared many details along with human emotion I feel it’s things people need to know. For this to happen to us in our home – not in a storm-ravaged area such as New Orleans - how much more are they at risk? Please listen to us!!

First I want to assure any doubters out there; We are not suspected or probable cases; we are confirmed and even documented cases. We met all the criteria and biomarkers for trichothecene and mold poisoning. Blood tests showed very high antibodies to many molds and the specific mycotoxins they produce. Environmental testing confirmed very high levels of these same molds and the specific mycotoxins they produced in our home. This even included very toxic readings of the actual biological agent and potent trichothecene (Roridin A).

Genetic testing by PCR revealed very high copy numbers of the DNA of both aspergillus and stachybotrys in white blood cells and lung secretions. This test proves not only mere “exposure” but actual growth of toxic molds in our bodies. (The case has been documented because this is rare to test positive for both).

I went a step beyond the above mentioned testing and had a biopsy done. Tissue samples bore the pathological fingerprint for trichothecene poisoning. The diagnosis is not in question and if anyone thinks it is, they are wrong. I also have photos taken before, during and after the poisoning. If a picture paints a thousand words you’ll see obvious burns from Toxic vapors and the severe affect on my central nervous system, in a cross-contaminated situation.

I’ll attempt to tell you what took place. The health focus is on how it affected me, Iris. TLee reacted somewhat differently which is common. No two people have the same exact symptoms. Genetics and exposures vary with each case. You may recognize some of the things I mention. I am not a physician or medical expert nor do I claim to be. I am an innocent victim and I deeply care about the health and welfare of others. Personal experience is sometimes the best teacher. Countless hours of research has also given me an education. I’ve been very fortunate to have had total strangers lead me in the right direction. I’m forever grateful to them. I do not wish to remain in the victim mode, but rather be a living testimony of God’s healing touch. It’s really sad that it took me so long to find someone to believe I was actually being poisoned.

We, unknowingly, moved into a “sick house” in June 2003. I had no idea what a sick house even was. I was already a victim of chronic pain. I certainly never thought this small brick home was a health hazard. It was built in 1952, had a floor furnace and very little ventilation. But I never even thought twice about it. As my health quickly began to deteriorate, I did not attribute it to the house.

I had very unusual symptoms from the day I moved in. There was eye pain. I had intense muscle pain all over my body unlike any I’d ever experienced. Sometimes my muscles hurt so badly, I would hold back the screams and try to hide my tears. I hated for Tlee to see me this way.

Simple mosquito bites became swollen and actually bruised when I touched them. I got nauseated. I’d never reacted like this before, as I used to camp on the banks of the Savannah River every weekend.

I was sitting on my sofa one night and I went into a bizarre and “contorted” spasm of my face, arms and left leg. Tlee thought I was having a convulsion, yet I was fully aware of my surroundings. We were terrified! The paramedics asked if I’d gotten around any type of poison. I couldn’t speak and the pain was really bad. It looked like something out of a horror movie and I’m not exaggerating! I sat in a wheelchair at the Medical College Of Ga. ER for several hours in a semi-convulsive state as they continued to call patients who did not appear to be in serious condition. My Pastor went to the desk several times and told them I needed to be seen. By the time they called me back the episode had ended. No further testing was done to find the etiology of these continued attacks.

My blood pressure, especially when at rest, was consistently low (in the range of 70 over 35). Bradycardia with a heartrate of 40 to 50 bpm. My body temperature varied from 95.5 to 97.8. Physicians were aware of this but never explored the reasons.

I had chronic abdominal pain and nausea with bloody mucous in my stools. The severe muscle pain lingered. I thought I was going to die. What is sad is I almost wanted to die to escape the pain. Maybe I should not say this, but I actually tried to get my affairs in order and I begged Tommy Lee to drop me off at a motel where I could just end it all. I KNEW I really felt all this pain, but I had no idea it was my home! Thank God, Tommy Lee would not honor my request. I can only imagine how he felt and I'm so sorry I put him through that.

After a long rain around summer of 2004 a panel in the living room ceiling tile gave way. It exposed the 35 year old celluose insulation. Water began to drip onto the hardwood floor. We also noticed moisture coming from the floor tiles in the kitchen floor after it rained. I did not visibly see any mold! (It sometimes can act as a stealth poison).

I began to notice a crawling sensation in the left side of my face. My face, hands and arms began to have an irritable fiberglass-like sting to them. I’d often use my fingertips to apply lip gloss having no idea a poisonous vapor was on my hands. My lips felt blistered. My eyes were extremely dry and often appeared bloodshot. The roof continued to leak in my rental home. Moisture still appeared under the floor tiles. We ran a humidifier because it seemed to help the burning and dry skin. We had no idea we were adding fuel to the fire. (Moisture)

In early months of 2005 it became very evident something in the home was making me sick. I had highly visible burns to my eyes, nose, lips and face. I went to my primary care physician in frantic tears and pain. I couldn’t even hold my eyes open. They were swollen and had a bloody discharge. There were lesions and small white abrasions in my mouth with burning in the oral mucous membranes. He diagnosed me with “rosacea” which made absolutely no sense to me. I was back in his office several times during this timeframe as well as going to the ERs, my local allergist-immunologist, opthamologist, endocrinologist, and gastroenterologist. I even went to a psychiatrist at the request of my pcp in hopes they would believe there really was something TOXIC to me. We even had a written medical recommendation for a tox screen, but it was ignored. Even my Pastor was shocked at the lack of concern; (Was I imagining the blisters, seizure-like episodes and other highly visible symptoms)??

I continued to beg for a toxic screen and stressed how the roof had leaked. I explained I could not function. I was getting so frustrated because nobody took the time to listen or acknowledge obvious symptoms. They made comments like “her obsession with some toxic exposure is beyond the scope of reality”. The medical opinion seemed to be I was suffering from delusions, hypochondria, and a somatization disorder. This was clearly phychosomatic??? No, it was a living hell!! No one paid any attention to what I told them about my living environment. A few local physicians tried to help me as much as they could. The ones who should have helped me refused to take me serious when I knew my life was at risk.

Toward the end, I was from motel to motel. I wore a mask when I had to enter my home. I still could not breathe. I’d turn as white as a ghost. The burning sensation moved from my face to my lungs to my stomach. I continued to look for help, even from the environmental aspect. Every agency referred me to another agency. It was like an endless circle which ultimately led to nowhere. Nobody would check out what was in this home!

When motel and food money ran out I hooked up a small heater with an extension cord and ran it to our van which had no heat. I just wanted to sleep and be warm. It was so cold outdoors; we even had a bad ice storm. My fingertips throbbed with pain. Teardrops stung my face. Many nights, I went to a local Huddle House just to be out of the cold. The waitresses knew my situation and let me sit there. When the pain got so bad I had to cry out, I’d go into the ladies restroom and curl up on the floor in one of the bathroom stalls. I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I’d leave early in the morning and go sit on the front porch and make phone calls about homes for rent. The landlord would not check out the house. He said we’d just have to move, instead of finding the culprit or having the problem corrected.

We moved out in March 2005, still not knowing what was in the home. My children came from out of state and loaded up all our possessions and we took them to our next residence. Finally, we would be safe!! WRONG!!!!! Everything we took with us was contaminated with toxic mold spores and deadly trichothecene. Although the insulation-fiberglass sensation got better, this toxin was already in my body and I was still being exposed to it. With an increased hypersensitivity I was getting sicker. Eventually I couldn’t stay in this home either. I just wanted to this nightmare to be over!

Through an endless search for answers I was led me to the right information. I knew now I had not only mold poisoning, but trichothecene poisoning. I knew exactly what toxin was in my body. It was absorbed as a vapor through inhalation, dermally and through ingestion. I begged for a toxic screen and proper tests. I took photos of the initial burns to my appts. I had reappearing burns where the vapors had first entered my skin. Nobody would believe me or either they just did not care.

I was so desperate by now. TLee and I had no idea where to turn. I managed to arrange and pay for testing of the toxic home we had first vacated. It showed very elevated levels of toxic mold. I could still get no medical help, so I made an appointment (on my own) with Toxicology in Atlanta, Ga. (thru Ga. Poison Control). I thought, “Finally, I’ll have a toxic screen and get treatment.” I sent photos and a chronological order to them weeks ahead of time. I showed them the environmental report.

When TLee and I arrived we met with two toxicologists. I did not see the Dr. I was supposed to see, but 2 doctors who refused to listen. As we told them about the trichothecene, I had an attack on my central nervous system while sitting on the examining table. My face was contorted. I could not speak clearly as my speech was very slurred. I had visible burns on my nose and small lesions in my mouth. My eyes were bloodshot and had a clear, yet blood-tinged discharge. My vision was so distorted, pupils small (one of the first signs of poisoning).

I explained the toxins had penetrated my skin and was in my cheekbone. I had three abcess teeth at one time when in the first home. In the cross-contaminated home, I actually had my front upper tooth just completely fall out due to the poisoning. Strangely they loosened and showed signs of decay, only at the gum area. (Thank God a Christian dentist/friend recently gave me my smile back)!

I explained to them my prior medical records revealed interstitial lung disease (which nobody bothered to tell me). My PCP had diagnosed me with COPD even though I’d never smoked and my pulmonologist had written him a letter stating there was NO evidence of the COPD; thus it was something else. I didn’t even know about this letter until much later.

I found out that I had a cyst on my spleen of unknown etiology and bacteria in my urine. (again, nobody had shared this; I saw it on my medical reports). My INR was abnormal and I showed signs of Epstein Barr virus. (Is it strange nobody told me any of this)??

In Dec. 2005, I was finally in contact with those in the medical profession who believed me. One graciously donated his services and helped diagnose my illness thru extensive testing. I was now living in a cross-contaminated home. I had developed a hypersensitivity to molds. The trichothecene and other toxins were still poisoning us. We could not run the heat, as it increased the symptoms. Again, we were forced into motels. By now the illness had progressed. I had to get treatment out of state for nobody here believed me, even though we were now confirmed cases. I was very fortunate to get treatment for 10months from an out of state environmental specialist and staff who really cares about the sanctity of life.

As we were forced from our home again, we KNEW we could not take our belongings with us this time. On June 30th, 2006, we lost our lease at a home we loved. Though our situation was made known to all liable parties, we got no assistance. We had nobody to help us get our belongings out of this residence. It was over 100 degrees. Only one friend helped move. We managed to get our music studio, guitars, keyboards, antiques and anything we thought we could possibly save into storage. Most of our possessions were left sadly behind. Clothes, original lyric sheets, important papers, cherished photos, musical awards, documents, my angel collection and so much of our lives are gone forever. (At this point, we have pretty much given up on ever getting our little studio or any possessions back. What we tried to salvage is so toxic to me, I cannot even get close to it without being debilitated) It's just hard to give up everything. But our priority is our LIFE..that's the bottom line. One does what they must to survive.

I made many requests from Grange Mutual Insurance for protective gear and assistance but none was given. I'll never forget June 30, 2006. Though I went through our belongings outdoors with a carbon mask and gloves, the poisonous vapors and toxic spores, high humidity and sweltering heat almost killed us. We sat there with all our possessions dumped in the front yard. My face was re-burned; the vapors dried my hair and blistered my eyes; Both Tlee and I had severe nausea, stomach pains, mental confusion and sheer exhaustion. The last day of packing I had another severe attack on my central nervous system. It was VERY painful! My face began to contort; I could not speak or even open my left eye; My face was cramping and pulling to the left. The hideous spasms went into both hands and my left leg.

It was very hard on me, but my heart went out to Tlee. What was this doing to him? He took photos of all this. To be so sick himself and see me in such agony – he had to walk away and cry (though I didn’t know this on that day). To endure something like this in this great land called America is a not only a shame, it is wrong! We needed help and we got none! We did nothing to cause this, yet we were treated inhumanely.

Since the poisoning I developed sensitivities to some things that had never seemed to bother me before. I reacted to pesticides, air fresheners, some cleaning products. Mold or mildew caused a violent reaction even in very small amounts and it still does. It's a very hard illness because many times by the time you detect an odeor or mold, it's too late; it's already made you sick. I refuse to quit living and stay in a bubble! I do the best I can.

We spent over 10 months living in an old van and sleeping on an air mattress in a room at my church. I had to get rid of my Buick LaSabre as it was highly toxic to me from my beloningings. We made 500 mile trips for medical treatments with no heat since Jan. 2006; During summer we had no air conditioner and it was very hot and humid on these weekly trips.

We only had the clothes our church ministry and another toxic injury victim gave us. We had no refrigerator for food at the church, so we tried to eat out as we could afford it; our funds have been totally depleted and our health compromised. We needed a warm and dependable vehicle. We finally found a small, but safe living environment; Our apartment is still pretty sparse. Imagine starting your life all over and also trying to survive the illness at the same time. We are trusting God’s Agape love and compassion of those who care. We have to be very careful of things. They must be very clean as we are super sensitive to mold and mildew due to such a heavy exposure. Life for mycotoxic people becomes very frustrating. (Little by little we're trying to piece our lives back together. We do have a bed to sleep on and some items were given to us. We sit on the floor for the most part, but you know what? We are very thankful to even be here today and hope to bless others. 05-02-08)

We are not the only people living though homelessness, sickness and disaster because of toxic mold. There are victims all across this country. They have nowhere to turn. Many will lose hope and simply give up. That does not need to happen. When I think of anyone living like this it hurts. But for little children to suffer or die from toxic mold absolutely breaks my heart. How many must die before the truth comes out? People all over this country are losing their homes, health and careers due to mold contamination or water damaged buildings.

We are both thankful to be alive. We are nothing short of a miracle and we surely have a greater purpose. I always knew God had something for us to do that would share His love, our music, and have a positive impact on many people. I don’t know exactly why this happened to us. But God knows all things; even when we fail to understand.

I do know that our mission includes working to educate people about the adverse effects of toxic mold; to give hope, courage and inspiration to other mold victims; to be instrumental in getting laws incorporated that will give us the medical and financial assistance we deserve; to hold liable parties responsible for their actions. We must work together for the good of all involved.

We thank everyone out there who is taking a stand for mold victims. We are real people with a very real disease. It needs to be recognized as such. We appreciate all the physicians who publicly support us. We are indebted to those who are truly researching our illness. There are millions of dollars of research grant money going to various places for this purpose. We need those on the receiving end of such grants to take advantage of using our tragedy and others we can supply to learn. We are ready to share all we have experienced. Where are the funds going? What have you learned about treating patients with this type poisoning? If you know how to treat us, don’t let us suffer. If you don’t know how, then learn from us and maybe you’ll learn how. There are several victims right here in the state we live in. We get calls from countless victims across the nation.

Trichothecene is an agent of biowarfare. It ONLY comes from toxic mold. The fact is we are not lab animals, but actual victims of this type of poisoning. Who better can physicians learn from than those who are living this nightmare? What happens when it is used as an agent of war? How will people be treated in mass numbers if nobody can even help two confirmed cases?? We need more medical research done on all types of mold poisoning. There are 1000’s of us waiting for help and willing to help others.
Why learn from autopises? Learn from those who are still alive but enduring a horrible illness.

You can share our musical backgrounds on a website we did just prior to becoming homeless. http://www.centurydemos.com If we ever get a studio back we hope to produce an entire environmental CD of original songs. For ANYONE to downplay the last three plus years of our life is more than inhumane. It’s cold-hearted and almost criminal! Shame on each one of you! Don’t even bother telling us this did not happen and it is not REAL! It DID..It IS..and it happens every day.

We surely are not living this way for the recognition; and certainly not for the fun of it. We’ve watched our hopes and dreams become a toxic nightmare. We need the entire medical profession, governmental agencies, insurance companies, media, politicians and even our friends and families to LISTEN to what we are saying. Listen and comprehend! Take the time to learn about this illness. We need your support! We are free to speak with anyone who will take the time to hear our cry.

On behalf of mold victims everywhere, our desire is as our song says: BREAK THE MOLD! Please contact us. Share our website and help get the truth about mold illness to the public. (We recently had the first Mold Health seminar in Augusta, Ga. and had 85 present, about half being sickened by toxic mold. This was such a blessing!)

Iris Harden & Thomas Brooks PO Box 1928, Thomson, Ga. 30824 706 595 7620

Please contact us. I really want to help direct you in the right direction. You can email me at centurydemos@hotmail.com or moldedfolk@aol.com

God bless.

We have 2 websites. www.survivingyellowrain.blogspot.com and www.myspace.com/faceoftoxicmold (there is a lot of information on mold and mycotoxins.

11-24-07 This is the same post I did in March 2007..with a few updates..

Breaking The Mold Kramer vs Corruption -Carl Grimes Pres. Healthy Habitats

2006-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hello all:

This was written and sent to me by my friend, Sharon Kramer. She has done a lot to speak out behalf of mold victims. We have got to have people who will tell the truth. Tlee and I are victims of massive t2 and mold poisoning; yet even since genetic confirmation by pcr and a biopsy Drs. in Augusta, Ga. will not acknowledge our pain or great loss. The physicians ridiculed me when I had severe burns to eyes, nose, face..interstitial lung disease, cyst on spleen and ungodly pain. They refused to run a toxic screen as I requested. They have no desire to help us OR learn from our tragedy. I publicly say: "Shame on you. the way we are being treated is inhumane"!!

Grange Insurance has left us to die since Jan. 2006 when we gave them our reports we in good faith. I even contacted their CEO for we are suffering and except by God's grace dying. This is wrong. I doubt their clients have any idea they'd be so heartless. It angers me when they look at us and try to tell us this did not take place. We certainly did not imagine the last 3 and a half years of our lives. We did nothing to bring this upon ourselves. Grange - tell the world how you are treating us. you'll do others the same way.

Please pray for me and Tlee and send any media, medical or people harmed by mold to us. Thanks to Sharon and Carl for the article. God bless and have a good New Year! iris 706 595 7620 Let's break the mold of greed, deceit and death. Help us PLEASE!

November 2006

Breaking the Mold: Kramer vs. CorruptionCarl GrimesPresidentHealthy Habitats
Denver, Colo.
Sharon Kramer has become one of the more active participants on the Yahoo! IE Quality discussion board, much to the outspoken chagrin and outrage of a few and the background cheers of others. Her basic complaint is quite simple: Despite increasing evidence to the contrary, the courts, public health and mainstream Western medicine have taken the position that severe and debilitating health effects from indoor exposure to mold is not plausible.
Her investigations have led her to what she claims is an intentional campaign by the principal drafters of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine “Evidence-based Statement” of Oct. 27, 2002, “Adverse Human Health Effects Associated with Molds in the Indoor Environment.”
IE Connections: Sharon, what do you mean by “not plausible”?
Sharon Kramer: It’s not what I mean. It’s what the ACOEM means. They are the ones that are making the claim of “not plausible.”
IEC: Okay, so what does the ACOEM mean by “not plausible”?
SK: They mean by “not plausible” or “implausible” as “highly unlikely at best, even for the most vulnerable of subpopulations.” Specifically, they are claiming that their review of the scientific literature leads them to deduce that it is implausible that mycotoxin exposure within an indoor environment could ever reach a threshold level that would cause human illness.
IEC: What is wrong with that? That’s what I’ve been hearing for several years now.
SK: What is wrong with it is that this position is not based on science or a review of scientific literature by any stretch of the imagination. None of the 40 papers cited within the toxicity section of their report make[s] this conclusion. No other document before or since the ACOEM mold statement purports to be able to make this conclusion. No other experts that I have read or talked with before or after the ACOEM statement even implies that conclusion.
IEC: If none of the papers that are the basis of the ACOEM mold statement makes the “not plausible” conclusion, then where did it come from?
SK: It did not come from any of the studies supposedly being reviewed. The authors of the ACOEM mold statement reached the conclusion all on their own.
IEC: Again, I don’t see a problem. Did the research they conducted meet contemporary scientific standards?
SK: That’s one part of the problem. The authors did no scientific research on their own. Instead, they selected a single rodent study conducted by other researchers and, after the fact, applied mathematical calculations to the data. Then, while referring to the original study, they state, “The preceding calculation suggests lower bound estimates of airborne S. chartarum spore concentrations corresponding to essentially no-effect acute and subchronic exposures.”
IEC: I’m confused. Which calculation are you referring to – the original or their retroactive calculation?
SK: I am referring to the ACOEM mold statement authors’ math calculations. No calculations within the supposed reviewed papers make the findings of “not plausible.” ACOEM is the one that is making the claim. And they word it in such a way that it appears the conclusion is based on the calculations of the original study. So, I went back to the original study, and it made no such calculation or claim. I looked through all of the papers being reviewed. None make[s] that claim. In fact, the concluding sentence of the study that the authors’ chose to base their math upon, reads quite to the contrary to what the authors claim to have scientifically concluded. The ending sentence of the foundation study reads: “The consequences of low-level chronic exposure remain to be investigated, as does the relevance of the rodent data to human exposure.”
It is the later calculations, retroactively applied by the ACOEM authors, that [are] the basis for their conclusion of “not plausible.” That is it. Nothing else.
It takes a careful reading to detect the intentional interweaving of evidence. Most doctors just trust the conclusion because it is coming from a reputable medical academy. Defense lawyers and defense expert witnesses tend to take it at face value for the same reason. No one has carefully analyzed the two documents to detect the subtle subterfuge.
IEC: I want to go back to another phrase you used in your first statement of the problem. The phrase, used as a qualifier, was “within an indoor environment.” Is that your phrase or theirs?
SK: That qualifier is used by ACOEM. They don’t refute that mycotoxin exposure sufficient to cause illness in humans is possible. Extremely high levels have historically occurred in agriculture and with foods. But ACOEM concludes, based on their calculations, that it is not plausible that humans can be exposed to enough mycotoxins within an indoor environment to cause illness.
In other words, the determining factor of causation is the location of the exposure.
IEC: Your statements on the IE Quality group have alluded to a connection to the tobacco industry and the methods they used quite successfully for years. Are you claiming the same tactics are being used in the debate about health effects from mold exposure?
SK: Absolutely. The tobacco industry tried to limit proof of causation by attacking and distorting scientific studies. Also, they funded research and reports to defer and distort factors other than secondhand smoke, such as allergies to cockroach and dust mites, as responsible for health complaints and illness.
IEC: So, it appears that somebody observed the tobacco tactics and adapted them to mold. How did you discover this?
SK: I’ll explain my expertise and my discovery in a moment, but first I want to say that the comparisons are much more than imitation. I have found that some of the people and companies deeply involved with the tobacco defense are now involved with the mold defense.
Further, this is an intentional and very deliberate campaign. But it is not a conspiracy. It’s more of a well orchestrated marketing of a concept that exploits the unwary and the trusting.
IEC: Before we get into those details, how did all this start for you?
SK: My family and I had a two-year nightmare that is all too familiar with an increasing number of people. In 2001, we had a leak in the water line to the icemaker. Our insurer sent to us an untrained and uninsured remediation company. They let the water sit for six weeks before drying it out. Mold grew.
The remediation company had no clue as to how to set up a proper containment area. Instead of repairing our home, their large blowers spread airborne mold spores all over our house. We were living elsewhere during the remediation and knew nothing about water damage and mold. For all we knew, they were doing a professional job. When they said they were finished, the insurer hired a lab that said our home was clear. We moved back in.
IEC: What was that like?
SK: At first, it was great. We were glad to be back home! But after just a few days, we all started having problems. My husband and younger daughter complained of a stuffy nose. No big deal. I am a normal, healthy person but was having difficulty breathing and concentrating, which concerned me. But not as much as what was happening to our older daughter.
She is not a normal healthy person. She has been medically diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and allergic bronchiopulmonary aspergillosis. CF is a potentially fatal illness, often from aspergillosis. She was extremely vulnerable.
IEC: Were her health complaints similar to those of the rest of the family, or were they an intensification of her medical condition?
SK: Both. She had similar complaints such as sinus problems, but also headaches and lethargy. Then, she became more and more ill. During our ordeal, she was hospitalized three times and had sinus surgery. I was extremely concerned for her, and our doctors were not well educated as to the dangers our home posed for her health. I began doing my own research and asked them about our water damage and mold problem. I was told mold could not be responsible and I should just go home and take some Prozac.
IEC: You mentioned during our phone conversations that you eventually sued the insurance company, the lab and the remediator. Surely, your daughter’s obvious illness helped your case.
SK: Yes and no. Yes, because through the litigation process, it became blatantly obvious her symptoms were resultant from the excessive exposure to Aspergillus within our home. But no, because the increased financial liability from the matter caused the insurer to dig in their heels farther and try to run us through an endurance contest so they would not have to pay as much money for their errors.
Let me tell you how she was treated. She was forced to give her deposition two days after being released from the hospital. She still had an IV PICC line in her arm because she needed an IV drip every two hours.
IEC: What evidence did you have that the remediator, insurer and lab were at fault?
SK: The insurer’s broker or agent selected and sent the remediator and the company collecting mold samples. The remediator did not use proper procedures to prevent cross-contamination. When we asked for the lab report that confirmed the clearance, no one could find even the chain of custody. The person who said she did the testing couldn’t remember being at our house. The additional testing conducted a week after clearance – because we had moved back in and had become aware that something wasn’t right – measured mold levels that were twice as high as the initial testing used as the basis for remediation.
IEC: How did your case turn out?
SK: We had never been in litigation before and have never thought the courts were the best route to resolve problems. So, we continued trying to work with our insurer. After nearly a year with no progress, they sued us for not accepting a $30,000 settlement. We had to get an attorney and we countersued. Our two-year nightmare finally concluded with a confidential settlement from all three parties.
IEC: How is your daughter now?
SK: We are all better, and she is much improved. But I had to find a fungal specialist before we found treatment that helped. That was a considerable expense because he was outside of our HMO and we had to travel a considerable distance to another part of the state.
But the greater cost was the degradation at the hands of the traditional medical community. It was an inexcusable insult to an already devastating injury.
IEC: How did you decide to become an advocate? Caring for yourself and your family is one thing, but taking on an entire industry complex is quite another.
SK: While going through our nightmare, I began researching and communicating with others who were experiencing much the same thing. As I heard the stories of those that were having much greater struggles, I came to understand that we had been quite lucky. We had a strong marriage, wonderful children, lots of supportive friends and family, and the financial means to weather the storm. I came to appreciate that if they could wreak such havoc on our family, what damage were they capable of against those less fortunate?
I had no intention of becoming a long-term advocate, but I knew I had to do something. If I just walked away after learning what I knew, I would be just as guilty as those that had mistreated, misled and harmed us.
IEC: Is that when you went to Washington, D.C.?
SK: Yes. In the summer of 2004, my intent was to go to D.C. with other advocates, tell our legislators what was occurring – because surely they just didn’t know – and then walk away. We went to D.C. We told our legislators our experiences. They did nothing.
[Kramer participated in a press conference on Sept. 22, 2004, calling attention to this topic. The conference also brought human rights advocate Bianca Jagger to the Rayburn House Building at the conference, organized by the staff of Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D.-Mich.)]
IEC: You said earlier that you would tell us your expertise and discovery. Is this when you learned the science necessary to understand the ACOEM statement?
SK: My expertise is not science, and it isn’t the science I’m questioning. That is best left to the scientists. But many assume I’m attacking the science, so they attack me with statements that I’m just a victim that wants revenge, I have no scientific credentials, so I have no right to speak. They want me to just shut up and go away.
I don’t make scientific claims, and I don’t evaluate the science itself. What I evaluate is the marketing and spin within the ACOEM statement, how the document is being used and the verification of sources.
I have a marketing degree with graduate level training from NCR Corp. and 25 years of experience. I have learned how to verify claims within documents by tracking them back to the original reference. Unscientific or unsubstantiated claims and spin sentences are revealed when they cannot be verified by the expressed or implied source.
IEC: What has your training and experience revealed about the ACOEM statement?
SK: I have read thousands of newspaper articles, court documents and peer-reviewed papers regarding the mold issues. While the vast majority of documents are indicative that mold is causing some very serious health and financial ramifications, there is a strain of documents authored by a small number of the same names that take the opposing view.
They characterize their work as position statements derived from a critical review of documents written by thousands of members of medical associations. Therefore, they carry great weight with busy doctors who trust their authoritative sources. Defense lawyers and expert witnesses appreciate the authoritative support of their position.
These types of documents, written by the same small group of people, are not derived from a broad base of scientific literature. They all rely on the ACOEM conclusion derived from a retroactive math calculation, and are usually written by several of the very same people who wrote the ACOEM statement.
IEC: Are there clues that help initially identify potential spin that should be subjected to closer scrutiny?
SK: Once you know what to look for, they become easier to find. They project themselves as the last word, state of the art, the result of extensive research. They tend to [imply] that what they promote is sound science and others with different conclusions are junk science. They tend to be very aggressive in their intent and manner of writing.
Their citations are by and large other review papers. But even when they cite actual studies, they tend to pull out key phrases they find beneficial and oftentimes disregard the true focus of the paper cited.
Legitimate papers with verifiable sources tend to look at actual studies to form their conclusions. They more readily note the shortcomings of where more research is needed. They do not call out specific papers as junk science. They are not aggressively promoting one school of thought. These types are science. They others are courtroom defense.
IEC: You have made some very strong statements. What is the basis for your claims, especially that they are intentional rather than appear intentional?
SK: The e-mails from when the statement was drafted were subpoenaed and are in court transcripts. I have read them. I have read how this ACOEM document is being used by defense attorneys and expert witnesses in the courtroom as a scientific finding that these illnesses are not plausible. I have read medical documents with the “not plausible” claim based solely on the ACOEM statement. Within the courtroom, the finding of “not plausible” often gets translated to “could not be.”
According to subpoenaed e-mails from the overseer of the peer review process, it had been decided during the drafting of the document that the ACOEM statement would be a defense argument. The ACOEM brought into their organization a former Phillip Morris expert witness for the defense and his business partner to write the toxicity section. Both have a Ph.D. but not an M.D. or other medical public health degree. Neither has experience diagnosing and treating people nor do they have a laboratory background in mycotoxin research. Yet they are quite adept at creative math and experience defending Big Tobacco.
The UCSF Tobacco Legacy Library and the recent RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] case against Big Tobacco [United States v. Philip Morris USA] reveal the deceit and marketing used. Similar techniques by some of the same people were used to write the ACOEM statement of Oct. 27, 2002, and subsequent position papers.
IEC: Have you compared the ACOEM position with the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine report “Damp Indoor Spaces and Health”? As a governmental body, they would carry quite a bit of authority.
SK: Yes, I have, and the contrasts are astounding. In addition to the above noted selection process, tone, and lack of accusations that contrary opinions are junk science, the IOM contains these concise statements:
In vitro studies, as explained below, are not suitable for human risk assessment. Risk can be extrapolated from animal studies to human health effects only if chronic animal exposures have produced sufficient information to establish no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) and lowest-observed-adverse-effect levels (LOAELs). Extrapolation of risk exposure from animal experiments must always take into account species differences between animals and humans, sensitivities of vulnerable human populations, and gaps in animal data.
The ACOEM statement does exactly what IOM says is not suitable.
Except for a few studies on cancer, toxicologic studies of mycotoxins are acute or short-term studies that use high exposure concentrations to reveal immediate effects in small populations of animals. Chronic studies that use lower exposure concentrations and approximate human exposure more closely have not been done except for a small number of cancer studies.
The ACOEM statement uses a single rat study with a conclusion that includes low-level, long-term exposure not related to cancer. Two years later, the IOM report says no such studies have been conducted.
Thus results of animal studies cannot be used by themselves to draw conclusions about human health effects.
The ACOEM statement uses an animal study by itself – a single study no less, rather than a body of science – and they do draw a conclusion about human health effects, that they are not plausible.
Even more egregious is the promotion of the ACOEM mold statement as consistent with the IOM “Damp Indoor Spaces and Health” report.
IEC: What last words would you like to leave with our readers?
SK: Mold is not the problem I’m fighting. The manner in which the mold issue is being addressed is the problem. Those defensors, who intentionally stifle the progress of science, are the root cause of the contention and confusion over the issue. Their actions fuel the misunderstanding, the fear from both the physical and financial aspects and keep this issue in the courts where the defensors generate the most income. They actually increase the costs to those they are hired to protect by obstructing timely and appropriate medical care that will eventually catch up with them in the form of greater court awarded damages. That’s what happened with exploding gas tanks on cars and to Big Tobacco.
The way to solve this problem is to train the physicians how to recognize, diagnose and treat mycotic diseases so that the physical damages are lessened by early detection and treatment. But we first must dispel the unscientifically founded myth that serious illness is not plausible from excessive exposure to mold within an indoor environment. It may be not yet determined, but that is not the same as not plausible.
IEC: One last question, Sharon. What if the ACOEM calculations and conclusion eventually prove to be correct?
SK: Great! But that’s the point. They haven’t been. Should someone choose to, it could be done quite simply by subjecting the ACOEM conclusion to the appropriate scientific scrutiny afforded any other scientific or medical claim. Until it has been independently challenged and verified, it should not be granted a status any greater or less than any other working hypothesis.
But, again, my point is that nothing justifies the marketing a litigation defense argument disguised as science. The serious harm from propagating misrepresented and distorted scientific facts is not limited to the victims who are turned away. It corrupts and violates the most basic trust for the professionals we rely on for life-and-death decisions.
Carl Grimes is president of Healthy Habitats LLC, an indoor-environmental consulting firm in Denver, Colo. He is the author of the book “Starting Points for a Healthy Habitat” and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of IE Connections. Grimes can be reached by e-mail at grimes@habitats.com or by phone at (303) 671-9653.