Mum’s face ‘blew up’ and painful red blisters engulfed her whole body after she spotted black mould spores in her home
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The mum says she fears for her life after she suffered a dangerous allergic reaction in her flat - and is scared to set food in it
- Eliza Loukou, Health Reporter
A MUM suffered a horrific allergic reaction after living in a mould-riddled flat that was so damp mushrooms started growing on the furniture.
Joanna Hayes' face "blew up" at one point, and her body was engulfed in painful red blisters.
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Her two-year-old daughter also broke out in rashes and needs an inhaler, which the mum 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 mould spreading across the walls as well as shoes which Joanna put in the bottom of her cupboard.
Mushrooms were also visibly growing on the sofa in the damp living room.
At one stage, Joanna, 42, was taken to hospital after her lips swelled up to twice their normal size as she went into anaphylactic shock - a life threatening allergic reaction.
Her daughter also developed large painful red rashes on her face.
Joanna said she is now too scared to enter the property and she and her daughter have been forced to sleep in their car.
The single mum, who works as a charity fundraiser, said: "Soon after we moved in, we noticed shadows on the walls and black mould.
"I initially treated it myself but the mould 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 mould 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 mould in the living room and even mould under the bed. It is everywhere."
Joanna is now demanding that Community Housing, which owns the flat, get rid of the mould or find her a new home.
She added: "I reported it to Community Housing and the team did a mould wash, but it didn't work and it just keeps coming back.
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"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."
Joanna said the turning point came when she was cooking dinner and suddenly became out of breath.
She recalled: "I thought it might just be stress, but then I started having heart palpitations and became dizzy.
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
Joanna Hayes
"I thought I was going to lose consciousness and my face started to swell. I managed to call 999 and my mum 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 mould and they went into my daughter's room.
"They said the conditions were unacceptable.
"The reaction made me realise that something sinister is going on in the flat and the mould 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."
Joanna 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 mould 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."
Symptoms of an allergy usually occur within minutes of contact with with the offending food or trigger, but they can also come on up to one hour later.
Most allergic reactions are mild but they can also be moderate or severe.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction which can be life threatening.
In some cases, anaphylaxis symptoms lead to collapse and unconsciousness and, on rare occasions, can be fatal so it's important to know how to recognise them and act quickly.
Mild to moderate symptoms include:
- Itchy mouth, tongue and throat
- Swelling of lips, around the eyes or face
- Red raised itchy rash (often called nettle rash, hives or urticaria)
- Vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea
- Runny nose and sneezing
Severe symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
Anaphylaxis and its symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.
Follow these steps if you think you or someone you're with is having an anaphylactic reaction:
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you have one – instructions are included on the side of the injector.
- Call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you're having an anaphylactic reaction.
- Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you're struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly (if you're pregnant, lie on your left side).
- If you have been stung by an insect, try to remove the sting if it's still in the skin.
- If your symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, use a second adrenaline auto-injector.
Do not stand or walk at any time, even if you feel better.
Sources: Allergy UK, NHS
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 mould 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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