Got mold? Max the mold hound to the rescue!

Welby O’Brien

Mold has the power to harm…and to hide

Four years ago, I was fighting for my life.

I had to force down food, was nauseated and bloated, had panic awakenings throughout the night, and was so weak I could barely function.
Afraid to go to sleep and afraid to wake up, I just wanted to quit. Doctors were baffled and doubted I’d make it. For more than a year I was subjected to multiple procedures, tests, drugs, and therapies that just intensified the trauma. Only my faith and emotional support from many kept me going.

Finally, a new doctor found the problem: severe mold toxicity.

I evacuated and stayed elsewhere for the summer while the house we loved was turned upside-down in remediation. We lost almost everything. I was too weak and sick to even grieve the loss of cherished possessions, including family photos and my wedding dress.

I’m so grateful for my amazing husband who cared for me and also oversaw the entire demolition and reconstruction. He was a rock!

Six months later I was starting to feel better. It’s been a slow process, and I’ll probably always struggle with the challenges of post-traumatic stress. Still, my gratitude continues to outshine the darkness.

It’s been an amazing learning curve. Did you know that not everyone reacts to mold the same way? Symptoms of mold toxicity can include allergic reactions, GI issues, asthma, tremors/seizures, vertigo, headaches, fatigue, sinusitis, skin irritation, panic attacks/anxiety, IBS, and/or neurological issues. Due to the dampness in the Northwest, mold is probably much more common than people realize.

While I continued to get stronger and our life gradually returned to normal, one mystery remained: no active source of mold was ever found. Lots of latent spores (which can be equally toxic), but no visible growth. So. . . we shrugged and went on with our lives.

That is, until a few weeks ago.

The doctor recommended the house be tested again, to be safe. Panic gripped me!

I felt like throwing up and running away. I could NEVER go through that again!

But after much consideration, we decided to go ahead. What did we have to lose?

We enlisted the help of “The Mold Hound,” a company recommended by my doctor. Their staff member Jax was a young Beagle professionally trained to locate mold. His family (owners of the company) had lost their home and health to mold illness themselves, leading to their dedication to help others.

Finally, inspection day arrived. The suspense was intense. Would we soon be grieving the loss of our home and belongings again, or celebrating the privilege of living in a healthy home? Or something in between?

 

When Jax came in our eyes met; we formed an instant bond. He put his head on my lap and cuddled while I stroked his soft ears and talked dog to him. What a little lover! An amazing dose of comfort I needed right then.

His owner Dmitri explained the procedure in detail and invited us to watch. Signaling Jax that it was time to work, he commanded, “Jax, Seek!” and led him around the room on a loose leash.

Jax had been sniffing away when suddenly he stopped and sat. He was alerting to mold. Bummer! Dmitri commanded, “Show me.”

Jax pointed his nose up, toward a spot above. Dmitri rewarded him with a “Good boy” and a treat and marked the spot with blue tape.

As fascinating as it was, that was all I could bear. I had to get out and go for a long walk. The search would take about two hours as Jax would need frequent breaks.

When I got back from my walk I wandered through the house, seeing pieces of blue tape in EVERY room.

Not good.

Holding hands, my husband and I just looked at each other while Dmitri and Jax finished up.

Sharing his findings, Dmitri admitted he’d initially been baffled. He walked us through the house, noting that most of the tape was far from any water source, with no visible mold nearby. Then it dawned on him: each spot was in the path of a furnace vent. This led us downstairs to the HVAC closet.

There we saw two more pieces of tape on a corner brick wall. Still, no visible mold or moisture. Dmitri climbed into the furnace closet and pointed inside, way in the back. And there it was! Down below where no one had ever looked, or even considered looking, right behind the brick wall. Mold.

GOOD Boy, Jax!

We heaved a sigh of relief. It all made sense! All of the spots could be traced to mold in the HVAC closet — which was scary-ugly to behold.

I wanted to invite Jax to live with us, but we had to say goodbye. He came for one last cuddle, and off they went.

Finally, having found the source of the problem, the blessings continued. HVAC and mold remediation teams were able to come right away, and within a few days the mold was at last fully removed. Such a relief!

And guess what? While working, the teams found more mold hidden behind another brick wall where Jax had alerted. Again, where no one would have looked without the help of a hound’s nose.

Our journey isn’t over. How and where the water came from remains a mystery. So, we will watch and wait.

For now, I’m going to turn on the furnace, hold my husband’s hand, and gratefully celebrate the privilege of living in a healthy home.trained to locate mold. His family (owners of the company) had lost their home and health to mold illness themselves, leading to their dedication to help others.