HOUSE OF HORRORS
THE grieving fiancée of a father-of-two killed by exposure to toxic mold after Hurricane Ian devastated Florida has blasted FEMA for allegedly refusing to help.
Christian Childers, 26, died from an asthma attack on Monday, the WTSP reports.
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His heartbroken fiancée Kendra Elliot said the attack was a result of the black mold that had grown inside their home since it was flooded by Hurricane Ian in September.
Elliot said that the family had been trying to move for months but with rocketing rents they needed help.
She claimed they had begged FEMA and the Red Cross for assistance with either fixing the mold or moving, but were allegedly denied every time.
Elliot claims that FEMA denied the family's requests for housing assistance and alleges that their home would still be classed as habitable by FEMA "because there’s a roof intact."
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"Clearly, it’s not, my fiancé just died," Elliot said.
"I want that policy changed."
FEMA did not immediately respond to the U.S. Sun's request for comment.
Black mold can pose a serious health hazard to asthmatics and people with weakened immune systems and can trigger attacks, according to the CDC.
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In large enough quantities it will pose a danger to anyone.
Elliot explained that the problem began last fall when Hurricane Ian flooded their home, turning some of the walls into mush, and leaving a bedroom and bathroom completely inhabitable.
After months of pleading for help, the unimaginable happened.
Childers suffered from a severe asthma attack, and was rushed to the hospital.
Elliot said she last saw her fiancé on Christmas Eve when he was on a ventilator.
He was eventually put into a medically induced coma before being declared brain dead.
The father-of-two died on Monday.
Now, the family wants to use their story to bring attention to the red tape and bureaucratic challenges that they faced and to demand FEMA change their policies.
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"There are so many other families going through this and this has to stop and this will stop. I don’t wish this upon anybody," she said.
The family have a GoFundMe page to raise money for his medical bills and funeral.
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