A mom suffered a horrific allergic reaction after living in a mold-riddled apartment that was so damp mushrooms started growing on the furniture.
Joanna Hayes, 42, and her two-year-old daughter broke out in painful red rashes and blisters they believe are linked to the grim state of their home.
They moved into the two-bedroom flat in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcs., last June but within months the property was covered in black spores.
Shocking photos show mold spreading across the walls as well as shoes which Hayes put in the bottom of her cupboard.
Mushrooms were also visibly growing on the sofa in the damp living room.
At one stage, Hayes was taken to hospital after her lips swelled up to twice their normal size after she went into anaphylactic shock.
Her daughter also had large painful red rashes covering her face.
Hayes is now too scared to enter the property and she and her daughter have been forced to sleep in their car.
The single mom, who works as a charity fundraiser, said: “Soon after we moved in, we noticed shadows on the walls and black mold.
“I initially treated it myself but the mold got worse and worse the colder it got to the point where the wallpaper was falling off.
“When the wet weather set in, the damp and mold became more and more obvious.
“When I open my daughter’s bedroom door in the morning, a huge wave of freezing cold air hits me.
“There is a big patch of mold in the living room and even mold under the bed. It is everywhere.”
Hayes is now demanding Community Housing, which owns the flat, to get rid of the mold or find her a new home.
She added: “I reported it to Community Housing and the team did a mold wash, but it didn’t work and it just keeps coming back.
“Me and my daughter have started to suffer endless chest infections and ENT issues so my two-year-old needs an inhaler.
“She shouldn’t need an inhaler at two, she’s just exhausted.”
Hayes said the turning point came when she was cooking dinner and suddenly became out of breath.
She said: “I thought it might just be stress, but then I started having heart palpitations and became dizzy.
“I thought I was going to lose consciousness and my face started to swell. I managed to call 999 and my mom to come and look after my daughter.
“I had an epipen from a previous reaction, but it was out of date. When the paramedics came, they confirmed that I’d gone into anaphylactic shock.
“I told the paramedics about the mold and they went into my daughter’s room.
“They said the conditions were unacceptable.
“The reaction made me realize that something sinister is going on in the flat and the mold spores are having a physical impact on my health.
“I’m in fear for my life and I can’t risk dropping down dead in the property and leaving my two-year-old to fend for herself.”
She is currently having allergy tests conducted by the GP, but they have advised her to leave the property due to the health risks.
She said: “It must be affecting the whole building as community housing sent out someone from the mold and damp team who said it is a ‘very serious’ issue and not a simple fix.
“The water is going in above the damp and although they have tried to help, it doesn’t sound like there is an easy solution.
“This is why I need alternative accommodation until they can re-house me.
“My daughter has been a little trooper throughout all of this, but I need to think of her and I don’t know where else to turn.
“I feel like we’ve been abandoned by Community Housing.”
Community Housing has apologised for the conditions in her flat and said it will continue to support her to feel “safe and well” in her home.
A spokesperson said: “We are sorry that Ms Hayes has been experiencing problems with damp and mold in her home.
“We have been working closely with her to rectify the problem and deal with other repairs she has reported.
“We have further works planned to treat the affected areas and have kept Ms Hayes informed of the progress of this.
“We will continue to support her and carry out repairs to enable her to feel safe and well in her home.”
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