Mother’s $300,000 Fight Against Hidden Mold and Its Impact on Her Daughter’s Health

Meghan May, a North Carolina-based consultant, bought her family home in December 2020. By late 2021 and early 2022 her middle daughter, Agnes, began showing severe anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, deteriorating handwriting and other neuropsychiatric changes. May linked the regression to possible mold-related biotoxins after learning about Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and PANDAS, conditions that some clinicians associate with immune dysfunction.

Newsweek

The World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality confirm that damp, mold-contaminated buildings are consistently linked to respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma. May emphasized that mold spores are ubiquitous and that health problems arise when moisture allows hidden growth inside walls, ceilings or crawl spaces.

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In 2025 the family vacated the house for nearly two months while contractors removed carpets, gutted bathrooms, repaired the crawlspace and attic, replaced ductwork and installed whole-house dehumidification. May estimates total expenses—including testing, remediation, temporary housing, repairs and replacement of furnishings—at up to $300,000. A subsequent remodel uncovered extensive hidden mold behind an exterior wall, prompting an additional $80,000 in repairs and a second round of remediation. Despite the extensive work, Agnes’s symptoms have not improved markedly, leading the family to continue reconstruction efforts.

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May cautions other homeowners not to panic, noting that most families do not need to dismantle their homes. She stresses that identifying the source of water intrusion is as critical as removing visible mold growth. The ongoing remediation aims to create a healthier environment and, May hopes, finally provide answers for Agnes’s condition.

Newsweek