Toxic mold displaces family

written by Cheryl Preheim 9news.com

DOUGLAS COUNTY - Health isn't something you can put a price on. For the Shellenberger family in Douglas County, uncovering what was making mom, dad and four children sick has come at a tremendous cost.

They believe there are many others who may be dealing with the same issue.

"If we had heard a story like ours earlier we would have saved ourselves years of sickness and worry," Julie said.

Julie guides her two-year-old son Trig into their temporary home. He calls it, "the bunk-a-doodle." It is a sweet name for something that came to this family with a deep sting.

"I think the whole place is 200 square feet," Julie said.

It is a beautiful RV, perhaps for a week of camping. This family of six has been living in it for more than a month already. The entire thing is smaller than most people's living room.

Ten-year-old Graham sleeps on a top bunk that barely fits him when he's laying down.

"It's small," Graham said. "When I sit up, my head touches the ceiling."

There is a stencil over the parents' bed that reads, "Live simple." It is a daily reminder to find the good in a situation that has broken their hearts.

"Here we are stumbling into our camper with the bare bone basics and looking at our house," Julie said.

Just across the driveway is the beautiful, spacious house they thought they'd never leave.

"We were sure this is where we would raise our kids and grandkids," said Julie's husband, Ryan.

His voice cracked as he looked around the empty home.

"It is completely devastating to lose everything you have," Ryan said.

They nearly lost each other too. Over time, they all become increasingly sick. Dozens of trips to see doctors uncovered no answers that helped any of them.

"We have suffered many years now with several different illnesses," Julie said.

"Nobody likes to see their kids sick and nobody likes to go to the doctor and never get answers," Ryan added.

The very ceiling they stared out on sleepless nights of worry, turned out to hold the answer. The house itself was making them sick.

"It wasn't visible, even inside walls, it wasn't that visible," said Carl Grimes with Healthy Habitats Consulting. He found a complex blend of toxins including mold spores from a slow leak in the roof that had grown mold in the attic for years.

It was a devastating revelation, but it was, finally an answer.

"The big relief is we finally understand why we have been so sick," Ryan said.

Everything inside their home was contaminated. Everything. It all had to be destroyed. The kids watched their rooms and toy chests emptied out.

"I went downstairs and saw everything in a heap," Graham said

"They all got thrown away in a dump. It was really sad," seven-year-old Grace added.
The plans they made for a life here felt lost too. Remediation of the toxins has taken months and cost upwards of $40,000.

It is an expense they have had to pay out of pocket. The builder who put up the shoddy roof is out of business. Their insurance agency told them without a specific mold rider, there was no coverage to help.

"The building boom we had before the bust, houses weren't built very well," Grimes said. "We come across a lot of construction defects and mistakes."

The Shellenberger family says what softens the sting of it all is fixing their minds on what they know is good.

"We focus on knowing God has us and our kids can now be healthy," Ryan said.

"I'm so thankful we didn't lose a child in the process," Julie said.

Graham shows amazing maturity for a 9-year-old who has watched his family lose every material possession.

"I see now I had so much more than I really needed," Graham said. "I just want my family to be OK." His dad has learned that too.

"What do we really need to be happy? We love each other and have each other," his dad said. "Throwing away all your stuff is hard; but in the end, it's just stuff."

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