>
A man living in a moldy apartment who spent three months in a coma after his pancreas to ‘melt’, he plans to sue his former landlord.
Terence Clay, 33, says living with a severe mold infestation in his Sherwood home in inner Brisbane for two years caused him serious health problems that nearly cost him his life.
He was eventually rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties in January and feared he was having a “heart attack”.
Mr Clay’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he had to undergo an emergency tracheotomy, a surgery in which a hole is cut in the neck and a tube is inserted into the windpipe to allow the patient to breathe.
“Apparently, I passed away for a couple of minutes, my brother told me, and then they revived and put me in a medically induced coma for three months,” he said. 7News.
Terence Clay, 33, says living with a severe mold infestation in his Sherwood home in inner Brisbane for two years caused him significant health problems that nearly cost him his life.
While the doctors who treated him could not attribute his condition to mold in his unit, a Sunshine Coast doctor, Sandeep Gupta, said it is possible that mold exposure could cause necrotizing pancreatitis.
Doctors diagnosed Mr Clay with necrotizing pancreatitis, a condition that occurs when there is a lack of blood supply to the pancreas causing the organ to “die”.
‘My pancreas melted away from the bacteria. So I have about 10 percent of my pancreas left,” Clay said.
He also claims to have type 1 diabetes and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his medical crisis.
It is understood that 25 percent of the population has a genetic vulnerability to mold, which means that any exposure can lead to organ damage.
While the doctors who treated him could not directly attribute his condition to mold in his unit, a Sunshine Coast doctor, Sandeep Gupta, said it’s possible that mold exposure could cause necrotizing pancreatitis.
“There are some animal studies showing that various mycotoxins (toxins from mold species) can cause severe damage to the pancreas, as was the case in this case, but there is no more certain evidence showing a link between pancreatitis and mold exposure.” , said.
“However, I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”
Mr. Clay claims he asked the landlord to address the mold in his unit in August 2021, but they only covered it up with paint.
High humidity, poor ventilation, and poor waterproofing in rental properties are linked to chronic mold problems.
But the problem can also occur, and continually reoccur, when moisture has entered a wall cavity from a leaky roof.
Mr Clay has approached Maurice Blackburn about a possible claim against his former landlord.
The law firm’s website says that if a tenant develops long-term health problems as a result of mold, they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries.
“To proceed with a claim, the tenant needs to have the injury assessed by a doctor as more than five percent ‘total impairment of the person,'” says Maurice Blackburn.
‘Tenants have the right to live in a property free from indoor mold and its health risks. It is up to landlords, in cooperation with their tenants, to ensure that rental properties are well ventilated and remain dry.’
Mr Clay has approached Maurice Blackburn about a possible claim against his former landlord. The firm says that people who develop health problems due to mold may be entitled to compensation.
Living with mold can lead to respiratory infections, irritation of the nose, eyes and throat, and skin rashes, says Worksafe Queensland.
In some cases, a more serious condition called hypersensitivity pneumonitis can develop.
It is a serious mold infection, usually in the lungs.
In other cases, mold can cause fungal infections, where a fungus grows in or on human tissue, or even becomes ‘systemic’.
Systemic reactions are when the mold attacks the organs. These can be life-threatening,” the Worksafe Queensland information says.