defense, or simply due to inhospitable environmental conditions. The mycotoxins, which are also neurotoxins (a toxin that is determined to cause neurological damage), most commonly reach people from the air, via spores from the molds in question. They are also found in small particulates at times which may often represent mold dust, small particles of mold that has dried and turned to dust. Spores, when inhaled, can begin to colonize in the sinuses and throughout the body, including the brain, lung and gut after a period of time.

Sick buildings are one of the major causes of fungal illness, primarily mycotoxicosis, in industrialized nations today. The United States is the least developed in fungal illness research and assistament to the community due to the high costs and fear of reprisals, so sadly, most American physicians have little or no education in treating this health crisis. The average American physician knows only how to identify a mold hyphae under a microscope, at best. Mycotoxicosis, often mistakenly called "Toxic Mold Syndrome" out of ignorance, has reached epidemic proportions at a national level in the United States due to defective construction, lack of regular maintenance, shoddy and inappropriate building materials, ignorance, and lack of government involvement; all or in part due to the high costs of standard and substandard remediation.

This illness has been so misunderstood, some who profit from the misfortunes of these poor individuals even go so low as to claim that there is no evidence to back up the fact that mold can cause permanent neurological, psychological, immunological and pathological damage, despite the medical data from well respected physicians all over the world

Suit: Mold killed 3 kids

Christine Armario | The Associated Press

February 5, 2009

TAMPA - The families of three pediatric-cancer patients sued a Florida hospital this week, claiming their children died after contracting fungal infections from renovations at the facility.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday by parents against St. Joseph's Hospital Inc. in Tampa claims the children were exposed to pathogenic fungi because the hospital failed to properly seal off an area under renovation.

Each of the children -- ages 2, 5, and 9 -- had been previously diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of white blood cells. Two had gone into remission, and a third was battling the disease.

Attorney Steven Yerrid, who represents the families, said they think dust containing the fungus became airborne and invaded the patients' rooms, "where all these children then were forced to engage in yet another battle."

In a statement, the hospital said patient safety is its top priority, and that it takes necessary measures to reduce infections. Those include using barriers around construction areas, filtering the air and monitoring ventilation systems.

All those measures were in place when the infections occurred, spokeswoman Lisa Patterson said. The hospital is part of the BayCare Health System, a network of not-for-profit hospitals in the region.

"Cancer kills more children than any other disease," the statement read. "Sometimes, despite all the measures we have in place, all the medical expertise we provide, and all the personal care we deliver, patients do not survive."

The lawsuit offers these patient accounts:

Matthew J. Gliddon, 5, was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2005. After being treated with chemotherapy, he went into remission. But 2 1/2 years later, his cancer returned. From November 2007 to February 2008, he spent most of his time as a patient at St. Joseph's Hospital receiving treatment.

Matthew's white blood count dropped very low, and he was at risk for bacterial and fungal infections.

According to the lawsuit, physicians discovered a spot on his nose, which grew and began destroying tissue. A biopsy later determined he was suffering from a nasal mold infection. As a result, Matthew underwent surgery that removed most of his septum. Still suffering from cancer, and now in the presence of a mold infection, he was not a candidate for a bone-marrow transplant. Matthew died in April.

Around that time, Kaylie Gunn-Rimes, 2, was taken to St. Joseph's.

She had been diagnosed with leukemia when she was less than a year old. Last January, the toddler had an allergic reaction to one of her medications and was admitted to the hospital. Though she was cancer-free at the time, she was staying on the pediatric-cancer floor and developed a fungal infection in her lungs. She spent 76 days on a ventilator before dying.

The third patient was Sierra Kesler, 9. Her leukemia had been in remission, but in March 2008 she went to the hospital and physicians discovered it had returned. She was given chemotherapy and went into remission again. The lawsuit says Sierra returned to the hospital a week later with a fever and coughing. She eventually had to be intubated and died in May.

In each case, tests confirmed the presence of a pathogenic fungi.

The lawsuit says patient rooms were right above the construction, where renovation work would have created a moderate to high level of dust. The air-conditioning systems would have brought air from the outside into patient rooms, it claims.

Sometimes, the patients had to be transported through the construction area. The parents claim the hospital failed to take precautions, including sealing the area under construction.

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