How a fit and healthy woman developed DEMTNTIA and forgot her own name because of a fungi festering in her home – here’s why EVERYONE needs to check their walls
- Amie Skilton, 42, moved into a mould-infested apartment in Manly in 2016
- Issues with waterproofing in shower caused water to leak underneath carpet
- Ms Skilton became very sick, and struggled to perform everyday tasks
- She would even suffer from memory loss and suddenly put on 10 kilograms
- She has since moved and recovered, with her brain function returning to normal
A young and healthy woman developed dementia and struggled to remember her own name after she became ill from living in a mould-infested apartment.
Amie Skilton, 42, who works as a nutritionist and naturopath, had moved into an apartment in Manly in Sydney’s northern beaches in 2016 with her now-husband James Korber.
Within a couple of months, Ms Skilton began to notice she felt unwell and gained 10kg ‘out of nowhere’.
What the couple didn’t know was that a waterproofing issue in the shower from a previous renovation meant water was leaking underneath the carpet each time they turned it on.
This then caused severe black mould to develop under the carpet, leading to a ‘systematic breakdown’ of Ms Skilton’s body and within a few months she was diagnosed with type three Alzheimer’s disease.
Sydney woman Amie Skilton (pictured), 42, developed dementia after living in a mould-infested apartment
Ms Skilton began to notice a dramatic change to her health, due to a waterproofing issue in the shower from a previous renovation, which left water leaking underneath the carpet in the apartment each time they used it. It ultimately caused black mould to form (pictured)
‘Some days I couldn’t figure out how to get dressed. I would look at clothes and just be really confused as to how to put them on,’ she told news.com.au.
Ms Skilton said some of the symptoms she first noticed were chronic allergies and extreme fatigue.
She then struggled to focus and work, and would often forget where she left her keys and phone.
‘I went fill out a form one day and I was staring at the box that said my name and I was like what is it again? I was staring at it, searching for it,’ she said.
Ms Skilton had moved into the Manly apartment back in 2016 with her now-husband James Korber (pictured)
Ms Skilton said because neither she or her doctors were aware of the mould in her house, all the tests done on her had come back normal.
She eventually figured out her sudden illness was due to the mould after a friend said her husband had become sick from a similar situation in their house.
Ms Skilton had remembered there was a leak in their garage when they first moved in, which she thought may have been coming from her apartment.
The couple brought in a building biologist who found water was underneath the carpet and had travelled into their bedroom and study.
She said when they lifted up the carpet there was ‘black mould’ under it, and their mattress had turned green.
When the real estate agency were confronted by Ms Skilton, they revealed they were aware of the leak coming from their apartment and had known for five months.
There had been a back and forth between the strata and the owner about who should have to pay to fix the problem.
Ms Skilton said because neither she or her doctors were aware of the mould in her house (pictured) , all the tests done on her had come back normal
Ms Skilton discovered that she is part of the 25 per cent of the population that have a genetic vulnerability to mould – meaning any exposure could lead to organ damage.
Ms Skilton is now living in a new mould-free home in northern NSW and her brain function has returned to normal.
She no longer is suffering fatigue or any other symptoms from her terrifying ordeal.
Ms Skilton hopes to use her knowledge about mould to help teach others after becoming a qualified Mould Testing Technician.
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