“The Future of Mold” has previously reported on the tragic death of Dan Pauluk – the Nevada health inspector who was exposed to toxic mold at his office, became sick, and eventually died from mixed mycotoxicosis last summer.
But now Wendy Pauluk, the wife of the late Dan Pauluk, is also experiencing extreme symptoms of toxic mold poisoning. Doctors have found near-lethal levels of Aspergillus and Stachybotrys festering in her body, the same two types of mold that killed Dan. Wendy is doing everything she can to fight off the infection, including taking nearly 90 different pills, inhalers, and medical supplements each day. Yet the mold growing inside her body is causing bleeding lungs, a swollen heart, and reoccurring strokes. Doctors have had to remove large parts of her jaw and most of her teeth.
So if Dan was exposed to toxic mold by working at the Shadow Lane Health District then how could Wendy also be exposed? The answer is – from Dan. Wendy looked after Dan for four years in their home while he wasted away in bed. She changed his leaky bandages every morning as she made futile efforts to bring him back to health. She had to dispose of Dan’s clothes and bed mattresses as they too become infected with mold growth to clean.
But that wasn’t enough. Eventually the mold that came from Dan took over the house itself, forcing the Pauluks to move into a rental home. Wendy’s daughter Chrissy and caregiver, Dean Zachrison, have also experienced symptoms of toxic mold exposure. They are listed on a cross-contamination lawsuit that was recently filed in addition to the wrongful death lawsuit Wendy filed against the health district over Dan’s death.
Now people who are exposed to toxic mold and show symptoms are usually not contagious – but this was a very extreme case. Dan Pauluk became a walking mold colony and the mold growing in his body started spreading to outside environments where it could continue to grow and infect.
If there is any silver lining to the story, this story definitely definitely raises awareness about the dangers of toxic mold and forces employers to start taking action to protect their workers instead of just denying there is a problem. “The Future of Mold” will continue to provide updates on this story and its profound impact on the public perception of mold.
Email This Post
Print This Post
You must log in to post a comment.