Hospital, family agree to $1.35M settlement in mold death
The first story that I link to above in the title is heartbreaking. It involves the story of mold poisoning from a well-known hospital in Pittsburgh. The patient whom the article specifically addresses died of a fungal infection she acquired while in the hospital’s care. This story is especially poignant, because the heart transplant that brought her to the hospital was successful. While recovering from the surgery, she was placed in a section of the hospital where two other transplant patients with fungal infections had been treated. The room was a “zero-pressure” room, normally reserved for infectious diseases to prevent disease from spreading. Particles can become trapped in these rooms, and unfortunately for the patient involved, the particles that were trapped were mold spores that spread to her body. With an already compromised immune system, she fell victim to the same fungal infection as the other patients and died. The hospital has since been under federal investigation and investigation by the CDC.
I hope you will read this sobering story. It, unfortunately, points out the dangers of mold in the most magnified situation: Mold can be anywhere, even in a hospital designed to treat and help the sick. Our bodies are vulnerable to its effects when our bodies are healthy and well, but especially when we are immune-compromised and weak.
The dangers of mold are real, and they are serious. Please protect your environment and your health. It could cost you or someone you love a life.
Company Recalls Spill-Proof Cups Due to Risk of Mold
The second story that I link to in the title above involves a product that many Mommies know and love–sippy cups. The whole design behind the sippy cup, or the no-spill drinking tops that allow children to suck liquid out, but don’t allow it to spill, is what actually trapped moisture inside, promoting mold growth. Now, more than 3 million sippy cups made by Mayborn USA are being recalled and voluntarily replaced by the company, because of this mold issue.
The story reports, “Mayborn has received more than 3,000 reports of mold in the removable, one-piece, opaque valve of the cups, including 68 reports of children experiencing diarrhea, vomiting or other symptoms associated with drinking from a cup with mold in the valve.”
Mold can definitely make you sick, especially when ingested, so the fact that this is being recognized and aggressively addressed by the company is a step in the right direction, in my opinion.
I hope you will click through to the article and read this story as well. I will follow this in the next week with a post on how to clean your plastic cups, sippy cups, dishes, Tuberware, etc. for mold. Plastic children’s eating tools are especially important to safeguard, because small children have less developed immune systems.
Please feel free to email me and let me know your comments!
