Elaina Faler Raises Mold Illness Awareness After 4-Year Ordeal and MCAS Diagnosis
Updated
Updated · WDSU New Orleans · Jul 31
Elaina Faler Raises Mold Illness Awareness After 4-Year Ordeal and MCAS Diagnosis
1 articles · Updated · WDSU New Orleans · Jul 31
Summary
19-year-old Elaina Faler is speaking out after a four-year illness that her family says was traced to mold in their Covington home and later identified as mast cell activation syndrome.
Yellow, black and white mold was found in an air vent after repeated hospital visits failed to explain her fatigue, brain fog, fever, rashes and digestive problems, prompting the family to move out and seek treatment in Florida.
Dr. Andreas Grossgold said the issue was not only mold exposure but her body's reaction to it; her father said insurance does not cover the ongoing treatment costs.
CDC data released alongside her story suggests invasive mold infections may be undercounted, finding about 450 cases in Atlanta-area hospitals over five years, with roughly one-third of patients dying in the hospital.