We were Poisoned -Children Dying Too

I got a google alert with the words trichothecene and mycotoxins. We
were massively poisoned by this agent of biowarfare. You may have heard
it called Yellow rain -used in laos and elsewhere to kill 1000's. It
poisoned us both in a brick home we lived in nearly 2 years. With
HIGHLY toxic amounts in the insulation and walls a child is still
there. This is even by the CDC a deadly vapor which can be produced
from toxic molds or I guess manufactered? Being we had to abandon 2
homes,all our possessions -clothes, photos, furniture and our whole
lives destroyed healthwise - I cannot access my own pc so I'm going to
copy and paste this story. This is in the schools, workplace and home.
Don't let your children or anyone else suffer irreversible damages or
lifelong suffering. Our story will be in E-Magazine march 2007 issue -
but we need more press - from a health standpoint and a human interest
story. You hear about people having to burn their houses down - well we
not only had stealth mold but actual t2 poisoning. We fight to survive,
start life anew with only the clothes on our backs and a hope to help
others be spared thru our voice. Please call us or email us. This is a
desperate situtation and we need help from any media outlets, medical
and just people who care about us and the mold and toxic issues. I,
personally, have met 5 other who are dying. I have this story and an
article on http://www.survivingyellowrain.blogspot.com

We're lifelong songwriters/musicians who released a 911 tribute CD,
Surviving the Storms (for Katrina victims) and many others just before
we found out what was killing us. I also have photos of the burns to
eyes, face and multiple organs upon request. Do not let you children be
around mold or water-damaged buildings. America, please help us break
the mold of death.

In the darkness of the midnight, may I be a shining light. Iris Harden
- Thomas Brooks

I'm living dying proof - it's time to break the mold.
It's Reality - Not Allergy!

For God's sake and America's future- please somebody help us share
our story.

I sadly share the story of Iris and Tommy Lee. We are victims of toxic
mold. We're also victims of deadly trichothecene poisoning. I never
thought I'd be writing such a tragic article. Tlee and I are
lifelong songwriters and musicians. However, life as we once knew it
will never be the same. Our health has been adversely affected with
immune dysfunction disorder, multiple organ damage and near cellular
death. By medical science we should not be living. Only faith and the
grace of God can restore our health. Life's journey down the road
of physical, emotional, and financial destruction has been a long one.
However, we remain strong in spirit and pray for a brighter tomorrow.

As far as mold related illnesses, we're very concerned about the lack
of concern. We want to help other victims. We also hope sharing our
tragedy will prevent many from falling prey to this silent killer.
Though there is great detail and human emotion we feel it is important
for the world to know. For this to happen to us in our home - not in
a storm-ravaged area such as New Orleans - how much more are they at
risk? Please listen to us!!

First I want to assure any doubters out there; We are not suspected or
probable cases; we are "confirmed" and even documented cases. We
met all the criteria and biomarkers for mold poisoning. Blood tests
showed very high antibodies to many molds and the specific mycotoxins
they produce. Environmental testing confirmed very high levels of these
same molds and the specific mycotoxins they produce in our home. This
included very high amounts of the biological agent trichothecene
(Roridin A).

Genetic testing by PCR revealed very high copy numbers of the DNA of
both aspergillus and stachybotrys in white blood cells and lung
secretions. This test proves not only mere "exposure" but actual
growth of toxic molds in our bodies. (The case has been documented
because this is rare to test positive for both).

I went a step beyond the above mentioned testing and had a biopsy done.
Tissue samples bore the pathological fingerprint for trichothecene
poisoning. The diagnosis is not in question and if anyone thinks it
is, they are wrong. I also have photos taken before, during and after
the poisoning. If a picture paints a thousand words you'll see
obvious burns from T2 vapors and the severe affect on my central
nervous system, in a cross-contaminated situation.

I'll attempt to tell you what took place. My focus is on how it
affected me, Iris. Tommy Lee was affected somewhat differently. You may
recognize some of the things I mention. I am not a physician or
medical expert nor do I claim to be. I am an innocent victim and I
deeply care about the health and welfare of others. Personal experience
is sometimes the best teacher. Countless hours of research has also
given me an education. I've been very fortunate to have had total
strangers lead me in the right direction. I'm forever grateful to
them. I do not wish to remain in the victim mode, but rather be a
living testimony of God's healing touch.

We, unknowingly, moved into a "sick house" in June 2003. I had no
idea what a sick house even was. I was already a victim of chronic
pain. I certainly never thought this small brick home was a health
hazard. It was built in 1952, had a floor furnace and very little
ventilation. But I never even thought twice about it. As my health
quickly began to deteriorate, I did not attribute it to the house.

I had very unusual symptoms from the day I moved in. I had intense
muscle pain all over my body unlike any I'd ever experienced.
Sometimes my muscles hurt so badly, I would hold back the screams and
try to hide my tears. I hated for Tlee to see me this way.

Simple mosquito bites became swollen and actually bruised when I
touched them. I got nauseated. I'd never reacted like this before,
as I used to camp on the banks of the Savannah River every weekend.

I had a fungal infection in my toe. I thought it just was an ordinary
in-grown toenail.

I was sitting on my sofa one night and I went into a bizarre and
"contorted" spasm of my face, arms and left leg. Tlee thought I was
having a convulsion, yet I was fully aware of my surroundings. We were
terrified! The paramedics asked if I'd gotten around any type of
poison. I couldn't speak and the pain was really bad. It looked like
something out of a horror movie and I'm not exaggerating! I sat in a
wheelchair at the ER for several hours in a convulsive state as they
continued to call patients who did not appear to be in serious
condition. My Pastor went to the desk several times and told them I
needed to be seen. By the time they called me back the episode had
ended. No further testing was done to find the etiology of these
continued attacks.

My blood pressure was consistently low (in the range of 70 over 35).
Bradycardia with a heartrate of 40 to 50 bpm. My body temperature
varied from 95.5 to 97.8. Physicians knew this but never explored the
reasons.

I had chronic abdominal pain and nausea with bloody mucous in my
stools. The severe muscle pain lingered. I thought I was going to
die. What is sad is I almost wanted to die to escape the pain. Maybe
I should not say this, but I actually tried to get my affairs in order
and I begged Tommy Lee to drop me off at a motel where I could just end
it all. I KNEW I really felt all this pain, but I had no idea it was
my home! Thank God, Tommy Lee would not honor my request. I can only
imagine how he felt!

After a long rain around summer of 2004 a panel in the living room
ceiling tile gave way. It exposed the 35 year old celluose insulation.
Water began to drip onto the hardwood floor. We also noticed moisture
coming from the floor tiles in the kitchen floor after it rained. I did
not visibly see any mold! (It sometimes can act as a stealth poison).

I began to notice a crawling sensation in the left side of my face. My
face, hands and arms began to have an irritable fiberglass-like sting
to them. I'd often use my fingertips to apply lip gloss. I had no
idea a poisonous vapor was on my hands. My lips felt blistered. My
eyes were extremely dry. The roof continued to leak in my rental home.
Moisture still appeared under the floor tiles. We ran a humidifier
because it seemed to help the burning and dry skin. We had no idea we
were adding fuel to the fire. (Moisture)

In Jan. 2005 it became very evident the home was making me sick. I had
highly visible burns to my eyes, nose, lips and face. I went to my
primary care physician in frantic tears and pain. I couldn't even
hold my eyes open. They were swollen and had a bloody discharge. There
were small white abrasions in my mouth with burning in the oral mucous
membranes. He diagnosed me with "rosacea" which made absolutely no
sense. I was back in his office several times from Jan to March 2005,
as well as going to the ERs, my local allergist-immunologist,
opthamologist, endocrinologist, and gastroenterologist. I even went to
a psychiatrist at the request of my pcp in hopes they would believe
there really was something TOXIC to me. We even had a recommendation
for a tox screen, but he ignored me and even my Pastor; (Was I
imagining the blisters and other visible symptoms)??

I continued to beg for a toxic screen and stressed the roof leak. I
explained I could not function. I was getting so frustrated because
nobody took the time to listen or acknowledge obvious symptoms. They
made comments like "her obsession with some toxic exposure is beyond
the scope of reality". The medical opinion seemed to be I was
suffering from delusions, hypochondria, and a somatization disorder.
This was clearly phychosomatic??? No, it was a living hell!! No one
paid any attention to what I told them about my living environment. A
few local physicians tried to help me as much as they could. The ones
who should have helped me refused to take me serious when I knew my
life was at risk.

In fact, I was from motel to motel for over 2 months. I wore a mask
when I had to enter my home. I still could not breathe. I'd turn as
white as a ghost. The burning sensation moved from my face to my lungs
to my stomach. I continued to look for help, even from the
environmental aspect. Every agency referred me to another agency. It
was like an endless circle which led to nowhere. Nobody would check out
what was in this home!

When motel and food money ran out I hooked up a small heater with an
extension cord and ran it to our van which had no heat. I just wanted
to sleep and be warm. It was so cold outdoors; we even had a bad ice
storm. My fingertips throbbed with pain. Teardrops stung my face. Many
nights, I went to a local Huddle House just to be out of the cold. The
waitresses knew my situation and let me sit there. When the pain got so
bad I had to cry out, I'd go into the ladies restroom and curl up on
the floor in one of the bathroom stalls. I didn't want to disturb
anyone. I'd leave early in the morning and go sit on the front porch
and make phone calls about homes for rent. The landlord would not check
out the house. He said we'd just have to move. The roof leaked for
9 months or more.

We moved out in March 2005, still not knowing what was in the home. My
children came from out of state and loaded up all our possessions and
we took them to our next residence. Finally, we would be safe!!
WRONG!!!!! Everything we took with us was contaminated with toxic mold
spores and deadly trichothecene. Although the insulation-fiberglass
sensation got better, this toxin was already in my body and I was still
being exposed to it. I was getting sicker. Eventually I couldn't
stay in this home either. I just wanted to this nightmare to be over!


I somehow found the right information. I knew now I had not only mold
poisoning, but trichothecene poisoning. I knew exactly what toxin was
in my body. It was absorbed as a vapor through inhalation, dermally
and through ingestion. I begged for a toxic screen and proper tests.
I took photos of the initial burns to my appts. I had reappearing burns
where the vapors had first entered my skin. Nobody would believe me or
either they just did not care.

I was so desperate by now. Tommy Lee and I had no idea where to turn.
I managed to arrange and pay for testing of the toxic home we had
vacated. It showed very elevated levels of toxic mold. I could still
get no medical help, so I made an appointment (on my own) with
Toxicology in Atlanta, Ga. (Grady Health System-Poison Control). I
thought, "Finally, I'll have a toxic screen and get treatment."
I sent photos and a chronological order to them weeks ahead of time. I
showed them the environmental report.

When Tommy Lee and I arrived we met with 2 toxicologists. I did not
see the Dr. I was supposed to see. As we told them about the
trichothecene, I had an attack on my central nervous system while
sitting on the examining table. My face was contorted. I could not
speak clearly as my speech was very slurred. I had visible burns on my
nose and small lesions in my mouth. My eyes were blood red and had a
clear, yet blood-tinged discharge. My vision was distorted.

I explained the toxins had penetrated my skin and was in my cheekbone.
I had 3 abcess teeth at one time when in the first home. In the
cross-contaminated home, I actually had my front upper tooth just
completely "fall out" due to the T2 poisoning. (Thank God my tooth
was replaced, as I'm not quite that much of a country girl)!

I explained to them my prior medical records revealed interstitial lung
disease (which nobody bothered to tell me). My PCP had diagnosed me
with COPD even though I'd never smoked and my pulmonologist had
written him a letter stating there was no evidence of the COPD; thus it
was something else. I didn't even know about this letter until much
later.

I found out that I had a cyst on my spleen of unknown etiology and
bacteria in my urine. (again, nobody had shared this; I saw it on my
medical reports). My INR was abnormal and I showed signs of Epstein
Barr virus. (Is it strange nobody told me any of this)??

In Dec. 2005, I was finally in contact with people who believed me.
Many donated their services and helped diagnose my illness. I was now
living in a cross-contaminated home. I had developed a hypersensitivity
to molds. The T2 and other toxins were still poisoning us. We could
not run the heat, as it increased the symptoms. Again, we were forced
into motels. By now the illness had progressed. I had to get treatment
out of state for nobody here believed me, even though we were now
confirmed cases. I was very fortunate to get treatment for 10 months
from a Dr. and staff who really cared about the sanctity of life.

As we were forced from our home again, we KNEW we could not take our
belongings with us this time. On June 30th, 2006, we lost our lease at
a home we loved. Though our situation was made known to all liable
parties, we got no assistance. We had nobody to help us get our
belongings out of this residence. It was over 100 degrees. One friend
helped move some things to storage. We managed to get our music
studio, guitars, keyboards, antiques and anything we thought we could
save into storage. Most of our possessions were left sadly behind.
Clothes, original lyric sheets, important papers, cherished photos,
musical awards, documents, my angel collection and so much of our lives
are forever gone.

I made many requests for protective gear and assistance but none was
given. Though I went through our belongings outdoors with a carbon
mask and gloves, the T2 vapors and toxic spores, high humidity and
sweltering heat almost killed us. We sat there with all our
possessions dumped in the front yard. My face was re-burned; the
vapors dried my hair and blistered my eyes; Both Tlee and I had severe
nausea, stomach pains, mental confusion and sheer exhaustion. The last
day of packing I had another severe attack on my central nervous
system. It was VERY painful! My face began to contort; I could not
speak or even open my left eye; My face was cramping and pulling to
the left. The hideous spasms went into both hands and my left leg.

It was very hard on me, but my heart went out to Tlee. What was this
doing to him? He took photos of all this. To be so sick himself and
see me in such agony - he had to walk away and cry (though I didn't
know this on that day). To endure something like this in this great
land called America is a not only a shame, it is wrong! We needed help
and we got none! We did nothing to cause this, yet we were treated
inhumanely.

Since the poisoning I have now developed MCS (multiple chemical
sensitivities). I have very adverse reactions to things that never
bothered me in the past (pesticides, air fresheners, paints, chemicals)
and especially mold. Life is difficult to say the least.

We have spent the last 10 months living in our old van and sleeping on
an air mattress in a room at my church. I had to get rid of my Buick
as it was highly toxic to me. We made 500 mile trips for medical
treatments with no heat since Jan. 2006; During summer we had no air
conditioner and it was very hot and humid.

We only have the clothes our church ministry has given us. We had no
refrigerator for food at the church, so we tried to eat out as we could
afford it; our funds have been totally depleted and our health
compromised. We need a warm and dependable vehicle. We are on HUD and
pray they provide us a safe living environment; but we have no
belongings other than what is in storage. Imagine starting your life
all over and also trying to survive the illness. We are trusting
God's Agape love and the generousity of caring hearts. We have to be
very careful of things. They must be very clean as we are super
sensitive due to such a heavy exposure. Life for mycotoxic people
becomes very frustrating, at times.

We are not the only people living though homelessness, sickness and
disaster because of toxic mold. There are victims all across this
country. They have nowhere to turn. Many will lose hope and simply
give up. That does not need to happen. When I think of anyone living
like this it hurts. But for little children to suffer or die from
toxic mold absolutely breaks my heart. How many must die before the
truth comes out?

We are both thankful to be alive. We are nothing short of a miracle
and we surely have a greater purpose. I always knew God had something
for us to do that would share His love, our music, and have a positive
impact on many people. I don't know exactly why this happened to us.
But God knows all things; even when we fail to understand.

I do know that our mission includes working to educate people about
the adverse effects of toxic mold; to give hope, courage and
inspiration to other mold victims; to be instrumental in getting laws
incorporated that will give us the medical and financial assistance we
deserve; to hold liable parties responsible for their actions. We must
work together for the good of all involved.

We thank everyone out there who is taking a stand for mold victims. We
are real people with a very real disease. It needs to be recognized as
such. We appreciate all the physicians who publicly support us. We
are indebted to those who are truly researching our illness. There are
millions of dollars of grant money going to various places for this
purpose. We need those on the receiving end of such grants to take
advantage of using our tragedy to learn. We are ready to share all we
have experienced. Where are the funds going? What have you learned
about treating patients with this type poisoning? If you know how to
treat us, don't let us suffer. If you don't know how, then learn
from us and maybe you'll learn how.

Trichothecene is an agent of biowarfare. It can come from toxic mold.
The fact is we are not lab animals, but actual victims of this type of
poisoning. Who better can physicians better learn from than those who
are living this nightmare? What happens when it is used as an agent of
war? How will people be treated in mass numbers if nobody can even
help 2 confirmed cases?? We need more medical research done on all
types of mold poisoning. There are 1000's of us waiting for help and
willing to help others.

You can visit our website (www.centurydemos.com) and see a few photos
of what toxic mold did to me. If we get our studio back we hope to
produce an entire environmental CD of original songs. For ANYONE to
downplay the last 3 plus years of our life is more than inhumane.
It's almost criminal! Shame on each one of you! Don't bother
telling me and Tlee this did not happen and it is not REAL!

We surely are not living this way for the recognition; and certainly
not for the fun of it. We've watched our hopes and dreams become a
toxic nightmare. We need the entire medical profession, governmental
agencies, insurance companies, media, politicians and even our friends
and families to LISTEN to what we are saying. Listen and comprehend!
Take the time to learn about this illness. We need your support! We
are free to speak with anyone who will take the time to hear our cry.

On behalf of mold victims everywhere, our desire is as our song says:
BREAK THE MOLD! Please contact us. www.centurydemos.com

Iris Harden & Thomas Brooks PO Box 25, Harlem, Ga. 30814 706 595
7620