A BRYDEKIRK mum has revealed that half her blood has found to be contaminated with fungus – and she’s blaming her living conditions.
Widow Joanne McEwan lives with 11-year-old daughter Amy and first noticed damp issues in their Warmanbie Road home in January 2021.
She reported it to her landlords Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership, now a part of Wheatley Homes South. Despite multiple inspections by them, Joanne says the problems persist and are affecting both their health and aggravating their asthma.
This week she shared the results of her recent blood sampling tests at a hospital laboratory: the samples in July and September respectively came back showing that 43 per cent of Joanne’s blood was contaminated with Aspergillus Fumigatus, a common household fungus.
But in the most recent test, reported on October 9, that percentage had increased to 49 per cent.
Shocked at the findings, she said: “I have taken aspergillus through the damp and mould fungus, that’s what has come back from both blood tests.
“Amy is now on two different inhalers because of the damp, and I’ve been put on a steroid inhaler which I need to take eight times a day. I have aids in every single room in my house to help me, and the landlords still aren’t convinced that I have a disability.
“It’s absolutely broken me and I have no idea what to do.”
She is desperate for more help to fix her home and said: “They aren’t doing anything to help, because they think it’s condensation. Our wallpaper is peeling off of the walls because of the damp and we’ve been through multiple sets of furniture because it keeps getting ruined.
“A plumber from Wheatley Homes South even asked if I clean my house on one of his visits, but I clean every day because I own a dog. Not one room in the house is liveable.”
In response, a spokesperson from the Wheatley Homes South yesterday said: “We’re continuing to do everything we can to help the family.
“An initial inspection of the home found some issues caused by condensation. To help with this, we fitted a new ventilation system.
“We’ll also arrange an independent inspection of the home as soon as possible. This will make sure the actions we’ve taken are working and to check there are no outstanding repairs.
“As a gesture of goodwill, we’ve offered help with redecoration and we’ll continue to keep in regular contact with the tenant.”
