‘Mould in my house made my son ill but the problem wasn’t fixed – I’m worried about this winter’
A mother living in a damp home fears what might happen this winter after claiming a mold outbreak has left her son with chest problems and unable to walk across the living room without stopping to catch his breath.
Tracy Manley, 59, has lived in her home for 27 years, but discovered it had a mold problem about three years ago.
She said it started with moisture around the windows, before noticing that items stored in the airing cupboard in her son’s bedroom had become damp.
Ms Manley, who is unemployed, receives personal independence payment (PIP) and rents her semi-detached house from Bristol council. She decided to empty the closet, but believes doing so disturbed the mold, which affected the health of her 31-year-old son, who asked to remain anonymous.
“Last winter when we took the bedding off he got sick and had to take antibiotics,” Ms Manley said. Independent.
“He had a wheeze in his chest. We went to the doctors, they said he was clean at first, but then he had difficulty breathing.”
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Ms Manley added: “He couldn’t walk across the living room without stopping to catch his breath. It was a serious chest infection and it was really bad. The doctor put him on antibiotics for about ten days.”
“It was a situation where the mold was disturbed, that was the problem. You were disturbing the mold and then you breathe in that disturbance.
“It was a little scary; we hadn’t considered that possibility.”
Photos shared by Ms. Manley at her home last winter Independent Appearance of mold spots around windows, on the ceiling and in the ventilation cabinet. He said he tried to treat it with chemicals but could only keep the problem at bay.
On tackling the problem, he said: “You’re always told to open the windows and ventilate – we’ve tried that, we’ve tried diffusers, dehumidifiers.
“We left the vents open but it was a matter of dealing with it, cleaning it, but it still came back. That seems to be the problem with older homes.”
Ms. Manley also had health problems, having been diagnosed with throat cancer last year and undergoing chemotherapy after mold caused problems.
“I was worried about my own health and it took a toll on me mentally,” she said.
“I also have a low immune system and am undergoing chemotherapy. After I was diagnosed with cancer last year, I was receiving a much stronger chemotherapy treatment.”
“It was hard to stay positive; it was draining on my mental health.”
Ms. Manley is not alone in dealing with such issues; Campaign group Health Equals has warned that more than eight million people in the UK live in cold homes.
New research commissioned by the group found that 28 per cent of people in the UK reported living in homes with problems such as damp, mold or cold that could cause health problems.
Health Equals’ research found that a quarter of those living in a cold home experienced respiratory symptoms such as cough, wheezing, flu and pneumonia, while more than a third reported mental health effects such as depression and anxiety.
Ms. Manley is worried about what might happen this winter. He said the council had responded to requests for assistance and had previously repaired the mould, but he believed this did not address the root causes of the dampness.
He said: “There is still moisture in my kitchen and I am worried about my health and that my son’s chest problem will reoccur this winter.
“They checked the attic, they checked the gutters and they say there are no problems with any of that, so the problem is being taken care of immediately.
“Keeping an eye on him over the winter and seeing how he progresses, but you’re worried you’ll bother him again.
“You should clean it up, but you’re afraid you’ll make it worse for yourself. Then it blows up.”
Responding to Ms Manley’s case, councilor Barry Parsons, chairman of Bristol council’s homes and housing delivery committee, said: “Our priority is to ensure all council homes are safe, warm, well-maintained and meet the standards expected of us as a social landlord.
“Since applying to the social housing regulator, we have been working hard to improve the way we manage and maintain our housing stock. Significant progress has been made since August, with the number of open cases of damp and mold falling significantly. But we recognize that more work is still needed to ensure our homes meet the standards tenants deserve. We will continue to invest in the safety and quality of our homes, with a strong focus on tackling damp and mould.
“Every report of damp or mold is taken seriously and responded to within 10 business days. We encourage any tenants experiencing these issues to contact us so we can investigate and provide support.”
Independent It is understood council officers visited the property last week to inspect and treat the problems.
