 Smith Family's Mold Story Toxic mold contamination has forced my family to leave our home and all of our belongings behind. We have lost almost everything but each other and our faith. My name is Barbara Smith and my husband is Gregory Smith. Our children are Darren (13) and Rena (11). My husband is serving in the US Navy and is also a volunteer EMT for Blackwater Rescue Squad in Virginia Beach. We bought our home in the Hickory section of Chesapeake, Virginia in 1999. It was built in 1930 and for the last several years we have put most of our time and all of our money into restoring it. Recently both of our children have developed asthma and severe food allergies. Our daughter, Rena, was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EE) (severe allergic reactions causing damage to the esophagus). Further testing showed that she had mold spores in her digestive tract and fungal problems in her blood stream. Stanley Yeskolski with Investigative Inspection Services Inc. and Dietrich Heyder with Air Quality Consultants Inc. gave us the devastating results of the mold tests in August of 2008. Our home had at least seventeen different types of mold, some of which were unidentifiable. The mold has taken over every room including a new addition. The mold investigators advised us to leave immediately taking nothing with us and to buy new clothes and throw away what we were wearing. Our home for which we have worked so hard to restore and raise our children in must now be destroyed along with most of our possessions. The insurance
company will not cover the damage since we have a mold clause much like a flood
clause. We are still making the payments on the mortgage as well as an equity loan for the addition on a house we cannot live in. Our family, friends, neighbors, church and community have
blessed us with their generosity in replacing clothing, school supplies,
furniture, temporary housing and other immediate needs. We mailed in a video application to Extreme Makeover Home Edition in December 2008. We are still hopeful they will be able to help in some way, but we realize they receive thousands of applications each week. We feel that we must continue to pray and seek other solutions. Ron Lehman with Lehman Construction Corporation and Faith Works Coalition have graciously offered to volunteer their time in coordinating the effort to rebuild our home. Any assistance, in the form of financial donations, labor, materials, and most of all prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Tax deductible donation checks can be made out to:
PGBC Benevolence Fund and mailed to: Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Smith Family Rebuild Fund 3232 Battlefield Blvd South Chesapeake VA 23322
Donation records will be mailed for tax purposes if Benevolence Fund is noted on the check. The IRS does not allow tax deductions on checks noting a specific family. Including a note with your check will ensure that the funds are put into an account marked for rebuilding our home. With Sincere Thanks,
Barbara L. Smith smitheieio@gmail.com | Smith Family in Local News
http://www.wvec.com/news/local/67612167.html
http://www.wvec.com/archive/67635202.html January 2010 Clipper / Beacon Article (sideways but there): November 2008 Clipper / Beacon Article (sideways but there): Prayers work, so please continue to pray for us! Please contact Barb at smitheieio@gmail.com if you think you might be able to help out! Thanks & God Bless!! We
are stretching the pennies as much as possible, praying for guidance,
continued donations and volunteers! As of right now, if we have to pay
full price for the remainder of the rebuild, we will not have the
funds to finish the house. We cannot cut out too much building materials or we would be in
danger of having the appraisal value come in too low to cover the
refinance. BUT! Faith Works Coalition http://faithworkscoalition.org/ as well as many other organizations and local businesses have helped out. (check out supporter page) God has been good to us & we have faith HE will
carry us! Please email Barb if you would like to be involved in the rebuild, donate materials or have any questions. God Bless, With Sincere Thanks, Barbara L. Smith  Greg returns from deployment!  USS Mahan Homecoming  Darren and Rena anxiously waiting for Daddy  Darren and Rena with Gracie and her babies  Greg receiving Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal from Rear Admiral Terry McKnight for his part in the capture of 9 pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Greg is on the boarding team for his ship.  Darren 
Rena
 Greg  Darren and Rena with  Rena with Downy  Darren showing his 
Greg is a volunteer EMT for Rescue Squad |
