A two-year-old child has died due to long-term exposure to mold in the apartment where he lived in the north of England, citing poll results released on Tuesday warning of social living conditions.
Avaab Ishaq died in December 2020 “as a result of a severe respiratory illness due to long-term exposure to mold at his residence,” coroner Joan Kearsley, who is in charge of this investigation into the cause of the boy’s death, concluded.
“No measures have been taken to treat and prevent mold. His respiratory illness led to respiratory arrest” and then to cardiac arrest, explained the doctor, who will be questioning the housing and health ministers.
“How is it that in the UK in 2020 a two year old can die from exposure to mold in their home?”
The child’s father, Faisal Abdullah, has complained several times since 2017 about the condition of the property to the rental association, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).
According to Joanne Kirley, the family was advised to repaint the apartment because of the mold.
“We cannot count in the face of how many healthcare professionals we have cried and how many RBH staff we have begged, expressing concern about the conditions in which Avaab and I lived,” the family wrote in a statement.
A health spokesperson also contacted RBH to raise the issue in July 2020 when Avaab was suffering from a cold and chronic breathing problems.
Joan Kearsley concluded that the mold was caused by “normal day-to-day activities” and a lack of effective ventilation.
“No action was taken and from July 2020 to December 2020, Avaab continued to be chronically exposed to harmful fungi,” the coroner said.
Avaab’s tragic death “will and should be a game changer for the real estate industry in terms of increasing knowledge, awareness and understanding of dampness and mold,” concluded Joan Kearsley.
The head of RBH, Gareth Swarbrick, stressed that he intends to make sure that this situation “never happens again.”
