A successful career as a lawyer and an adorable family with newborn twins is what Kristina Baehr had. They lived in a house that she considered her forever home. Her health, career, marriage and family were all being undermined by a mysterious foe.
Toxic mold became a problem in the home of the Baehrs of Austin, Texas. The mycotoxins produced by the mold made it difficult to diagnose.
Baehr said she felt like she had been hit by a truck. I began to get headaches that I didn't understand. I felt drunk in the middle of the day. I felt unwell and lost. I am losing and forgetting.
Thousands of people in the United States struggle with mold in their homes. It's hidden behind walls, under flooring or in air ducts. mold has been found in all types of residences from military and public housing to dormitories at colleges across the country, though the exact number of cases is hard to come by. Tens of thousands of people have joined social media groups devoted to mold exposure.
It took the Baehrs a long time to figure out what was causing her symptoms. She hopes to use the knowledge she has gained to help others.
Evan Baehr thought that the struggles that come along with balancing a demanding career with parenting four children was what his wife was complaining about.
The Baehr family had to leave their home after being exposed to toxic mold.
Evan Baehr admitted that he wasn't sympathetic. I said that we run hard, we have careers, and we have young kids at home. It's not a great response to just deal with it.
The children started getting sick as well. Cooper had a problem with his nose. Seven-year-old Madeleine had a lot of headaches, stomach problems, and anxiety. Her youngest son, Scott, was showing signs of disabilities that made teachers wonder if he might have a serious disorder on the spectrum.
Scott was melting down for at least an hour a day. "They couldn't calm him down, and I thought something was going on."
Doctors found a benign tumor when Kristina Baehr fainted. She said that she was breaking down. I became committed to getting better.
Baehr quit her job as a partner at the law firm to focus on her family's health. She discovered that the entire family had off-the-chart levels of mycotoxins, which are produced by certain types of mold and fungi, after almost three years of tests and visits to various doctors.
Scott had a mycotoxin score through the roof. The limit should be eight. She said that he was at the age of108.
Construction and mold experts were hired by the Baehrs to look at their living space. A faulty roof repair, improper construction, and a poorly installed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system were found to be the cause of the problem. It was a good place for growth of organisms.
The Baehr family had a small leak that caused water to leak into their daughter Madeleine's room.
There is a mold in the Baehr's kitchen.
He said that the Baehrs were consuming mold. It was growing in the air ducts. They found mold on fruit in a bowl and in their drinking water.
Evan Baehr said that there was an elephant in the room that was the source of all the strange health symptoms.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information, there were over four million cases of asthma in the US in 2007. Chronic mold exposure can have a wide-ranging impact on multiple organ systems, including the respiratory and nervous system, as well as on cardiovascular and reproductive health.
There is strong evidence that early life exposure to damp environments, mold and mycotoxins can cause delays in cognitive and immune function. Children who live in damp houses during infancy or early childhood are more likely to develop a condition called adenoid hypertrophy, an enlargement of tissue that can lead to ear, nose and throat issues.
The health battles can last a long time after someone leaves a bad environment.
Jamie Lichtenstein, a professor at the college, said that exposure to mold can lead to long-term sensitization in sensitive individuals.
The biggest worry for her is how mold exposure will affect the long-term health of her children, as she still develops a severe full body rash with even the smallest amount of exposure.
Scott continues to struggle with delays. He might never be the same. He grew into the world through this. He was in my room. I nursed him in that house.
Cooper embraces his brother Scott after receiving medical tests for toxic mold exposure.
The house was killing them slowly, according to Baehr. Everything inside was abandoned to escape the mold. Their clothing, toys, and personal belongings are a total loss. They are on a strict regimen of drugs and therapies to cleanse their bodies.
Evan Baehr said that the mold nightmare wiped out the family's savings. They have spent more than a million dollars on demolition, repair and reconstruction, along with relocation costs, medical copays and out-of-pocket treatment expenses.
Baehr said that you have done everything you can to take care of your family, but then suddenly a year later, it's all gone.
The family has filed litigation against the companies that designed and built their home. It has been a long and difficult legal process, but she believes it will be worth it.
The Baehrs want to rebuild their lives and have the resources to provide for their medical care for their children, so that they can be safe going forward.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, mold is not covered by homeowners insurance.
If the mold growth is the result of a covered peril, there are exceptions. The flooding from Hurricane Ida and the broken pipes from the winter storm in Texas were expected to cause a spike in mold cases.
Lichtenstein said that with increased flooding due to climate change, there could be increased cases of water damage to homes and mold growth.
The experience has left Baehr with a new mission to help others who have been exposed to mold. She decided to start a new law practice to give her and her family the kind of representation she couldn't find for herself.
She said that a lot of families have experienced this problem and that they want to help people recover from the people who made them sick.
