
So you want to help a friend or loved one (or even just some random person) who has become a victim of toxic mold exposure? You just don’t know where to start or what help to offer?
I get it. If you haven’t been through the tragedy that is toxic mold, it is pretty tough to wrap your brain around the whole situation. I know my family and friends really struggled with how to help. Since we lost everything we owned TWICE, it seemed pretty overwhelming to people and they were just at a loss with what they could do. To them, it seemed so small compared to our ginormous need.
Today I would like to share 9 things you can do to help an individual or a family who has fallen victim to mold exposure. And by falling victim, I mean losing everything – their home, their belongings, their health. These might be temporary losses in the event of a recent or small scale mold issue. In the case of a large scale, long standing issue (like ours), the loss is devastating, permanent, and forever life altering. In either case, there are a lot of ways you can support and help those in need. And remember- these are just suggestions, not hard and firm “must do’s.”

9 Ways To Help A Victim Of Toxic Mold Exposure
1. Offer the person(s) a place to stay. We had to leave our home almost immediately after we received our test results. Luckily, two out of three of the humans living in my house had a place to go to. Rasta Daddy remained in the home until an alternate living arrangement presented itself. But that took a couple of months which was far from ideal. If you have an extra room and can offer it up for the short term, please do so.
2. Offer to foster any pets living with the person or family. I went into panic mode trying to find temporary homes for my cats. That also took months to sort out. They are safe now but for a while there I was close to having to make a really tough decision about their fate. Anyone who has to abandon their life because of mold does NOT want to send their pet(s) to a shelter. Many toxic mold victims lose everything. There is no reason that person or family should also have to give up their beloved pet if a temporary foster home can be found.
3. Start a fundraiser! I had a couple of friends who jumped on the fundraiser bandwagon. They wanted to help us pay for the initial appointment with a mold specialist who could assess our health issues. Toxic mold is expensive. The testing is expensive. If you choose to remediate the home, that is expensive. Temporary living arrangements are expensive. If you lose everything, that is expensive as you have to replace so much. Should you go the way of a lawsuit, that has a LOT of upfront costs that are the responsibility of the victim and not the attorney. Let’s not forget medical care. That is beyond expensive. Any and all financial support is welcome.
4. Get the person or family a gift certificate to their favorite store – even a grocery store! If you can lessen their financial burden in any way, that will allow for some wiggle room in other areas that are burdening the available resources.
5. Don’t purchase or donate things you think the family will need without asking the family first. A LOT of well-meaning people started cleaning out their garages and sending stuff our way. While I appreciated the kindness and the intention behind the donations, we were in a VERY temporary living situation and had no room to store things. Beyond that, we were so ill from the mold exposure that any additional mold exposure could have sent us over the edge. We were advised NOT to accept anything used unless we knew 100% that is came from a mold free environment. I was so terrified of mold exposure at that point that it made accepting donations a difficult thing for me. So in a sense, getting stuff was not good for my mental health. Some people did ask what we needed specifically and I was more than happy to give them a few items of immediate need to choose from.
6. Offer to help them with whatever needs to be done at the moldy home. I don’t mean go expose yourself to toxic mold of course! But ask if there is a way you can help safely. A dear friend’s husband came down and took apart my daughter’s play structure so we could store it at my parents’ house. Another friend came and helped us move the items out of our garden shed. We had enough to deal with. While these two projects were small compared to the overall picture, having the extra help was truly a blessing. It was one less thing on an overwhelming to do list.
7. Have photography skills? Can you at least use a camera? If a family is losing everything, offer to take some photos of any children’s artwork. These can be brought outside and someone else can take the pictures. The same goes for non-digital photos. Ask the person or family if there are any keepsakes they would like to remember. Instead of losing special memories, help someone by preserving them through photographs. A lot of people suggested that I should take pictures of things. Well, that is all well and good but there was a time issue as well as an emotional issue. It is just too heart breaking to do that yourself. It really is. So please, offer to do this for them.
8. Make phone calls on their behalf. I had to make A LOT of phone calls after Moldageddon. Many of these were just information gathering calls that could easily have been completed by friends. Let the person focus on the most important of calls and help by making some of the other calls.
9. Just listen. Don’t ask a lot of questions. Instead, just listen. Make sure your friend or family members know you are there to help. Then follow through with whatever help you offer. I was left hanging on several occasions and it just about sent me over the edge. I truly needed that help. I also needed the support. Someone to just listen to whatever I was prattling on about. I promise – the prattling ends. But while the person is fresh out of Moldageddon, let them talk about whatever they need to talk about.
In what ways would YOU help a victim of toxic mold? Can you share some ideas to add to these 9 suggestions?
If you are looking for additional information on toxic mold, please visit my new website Mold Help For You. It has darn near close to everything you need.

Angela Burch says
Hi Jennifer,
Having been through “Moldageddon” about 3 years ago with my husband and 2 sons, this article resonates with me. I’m sorry you and your family had to go through it twice. It helps to know we’re not on this journey alone. Thank you for writing about it.
Angela
Jennifer says
Hi Angela! There are way too many of us moldies out there. It is tragic really but you are right – it helps to know that we are not alone! I hope that you and your family have found healing and have been able to move forward. I know it takes a lot of time and patience. I can’t wait to see where life takes us 3 years post mold. 🙂
Judy kabacinski says
Have you heard of Lauricidin to detox for mold, I have tried it and I’m having die off? Not sure because I’m getting another mouth infection, this does not make sense. Do you feel this bad with die off. I have mold in my brain, heart etc
Jennifer says
Hi Judy,
I am so sorry that you are going through this. I have heard of Lauricidin but do not take it myself. Due off can absolutely make things worse before things get better. Think of how the body works. All those years of toxicity have to come out somehow. It takes times and sadly, suffering. I have some ok days but mostly I feel like garbage. I totally understand and with there was a quick fix.
Elda says
This article made me cry. I’m going through this right now. One friend donated us some clothes because we checked into a hotel with what we had on our backs. Another let us stay in her place for 2 weeks. NO ONE ELSE lifted a finger to do anything to help us. Not even call. Everyone we know has been over at our house at least a dozen times for elaborate meals – we loved to throw dinner parties and invite all friends. I’m heartbroken.
We kept going back to the house to clear out the contents – throw away, sort through important papers, etc. Going through baby books and old letters & cards was particularly heartbreaking – I took pictures of them all, but boy that was a very depressing week.
We’re going through remediation right now and don’t know if it will work out or not. We have all the stuff we couldn’t throw out in 2 PODS and I dread sorting through that. I got very sick half way through the sorting process and just hired folks who threw everything in boxes. I know I should dump all eventually, but not before taking pictures or scanning important papers first.
Loretta says
My heart goes out to you as I am in the same boat. I am staying with my ex-husband in a tiny apartment and dreading the day the management says “No longer”. My home is in remediation and what remains of my belongings bagged in the garage. I don’t even want to go through them as I get serious reactions. I am most concerned about my little pet, Persi. She has begun to show symptoms of exposure and I am so scared to lose her. I wish I had someone who could foster her while I try to get healed myself. I am very ill. At 65 years of age, I never dreamed this is how my “golden years” would turn out…sleeping in parking lots, fearing everything around me, being so sick I just want to give up. I will pray for your home to be cleansed of this horrible plague. There is nothing scarier than toxic mold.
Megan mccarty says
Im a single mom 32 with two beautiful little girls 7 and 4 yrs old , we have been renting a apartment for about 6 months and am showing signs of mold posioning and my children even more so , im torn apart i dont have any family or hardley any friends and the shelters are full and i dont have the money to move and leave what little we have but its making us soooo ill ..im literally begging for help i dont know what to do or were to go my kids have both had high fevers and been in bed for two days now please do you have any suggestions on what i can do ..
Erick S says
I am so sick with mold poisoning, cannot function it is so bad. Symptoms of advanced stages of mycotoxin poisoning. House is mold contaminated and I have no where to go. Scared and feel helpless, don’t want to be homeless. Any suggestions out there? I cannot think clearly…..
Jennifer says
This should help! https://hybridrastamama.com/need-to-detox-from-mold-exposure-heres-how-i-did-it/
Elizabeth Caviness says
49 year old female I had two older chihuahuas that I love dearly that as well have symptoms of the mold poisoning I’m alone I have no family or friends or support I could use all the help that I could get financially I am about to become homeless the second time this year I’ve lost everything twice and I’m going blind I am in severe need of Health Care and support thank you
Jennifer says
Hi Elizabeth! I am so sorry to read this. My heart breaks for you. Where do you live? I can see what resources might be available there. Feel free to contact me offline: https://hybridrastamama.com/contact-me/