"You Hid, But I Found You"
After becoming ill from these toxins in February 2006, and realizing the reality of what had happened to me, I had set out the energies that I had left physically, emotionally, and spiritually, into helping mold victim's across the nation. If it were to only tell my story, or to be a shoulder for moral support to another mold victim, then my dreams would have become a reality.
I was born and raised in Massachusettes. Went into the Army, got married and had a family. My daughter got real sick and passed away at age 5. We were both devastated and were never the same again. I felt like the doctors and paramedics did a terrible job in treating her as she suffered a lot. I pledged from that day forward I would do something to change the system. I went to school part time and became a paramedic firefighter. I got out of the military and was hired full time in Virginia as a paramedic/firefighter. The system is a mess and I did very little to change it since 1982. I did make a difference in a hand full of peoples lives since that time.
My marriage grew distant with the death of my daughter always on the forefront. We ended up divorcing and I felt like a new person and had to leave Virginia. I went to North Carolina and worked as a paramedic there for 3 years. I wasn't happy living there with no ocean. I soon took a transfer to San Antonio, Texas, where I worked as a Paramedic for a week. Then my real dream came true. I was contacted by Key West, Florida to be a full time paramedic there. They didn't have to ask me twice and I was off to the Keys. I bought my dream home right on the water and soon had a jet ski and motor cycle living life to the fullest.
Then it started to happen, I was getting short of breath doing the most minor tasks. I wasn't over weight, standing 6 foot 3 and weighing 185 pounds. I ran daily and even played street hockey on the city police league. It was harder and harder for me to keep up with the others. One day I was taking a hot shower and got so out of breath I almost passed out. I got real sweaty and dizzy and knew something was very wrong.
Click Here To Read More Of John's Toxic Mold Story
This is a story that I wouldn't wish for anybody to have to write at anytime in their lives. I'd like to invite you to come with me on a journey in the life of a toxic mold patient.
Eight years ago I was working for a company, just two months after my employment began I started coming down with pneumonia, bronical pneumonia that also triggered asthma (which I never have had before), coughing up blood. Just to inform everyone, I have never been allergic to anything prior to this, ie: medications, dust, animals, etc.) This was just the beginning.
I sat right under the air conditioner vent. The building was only 8 years old, but it did have numerous leaks and several times the restroom did flood down the hall. The main exposure for me was the a/c which never worked properly since it was orginally installed, nor was it ever properly maintained. Which of course at that time we had no idea that the a/c was the cause of everyones illness. Even though you could not smell mold in the building, every other day a black sootlike dust would show up on the countertops and computers.