Mum has ‘nightmares’ about son’s death after he ended up in hospital seven times due to mouldy flat

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

A young mum said she has nightmares her son is dying after he’s ended up in hospital seven times from asthma attacks from living in a mouldy Merton flat.

Chaileigh Clancy, 21, has lived in Montgomery Close on the Pollards Hill Estate in Mitcham since January 2021.

The mum-of-one said there were no problems at first, but in October she discovered the inside of her cupboards were covered in thick, black mould.

In the same month, her son, 18-month-old Billy, was rushed to hospital by ambulance for the first time after having an asthma attack, she said.

The baby was in hospital for the seventh time when she spoke to us this week.

Speaking from Epsom Hospital, Ms Clancy said: “He had never had these problems before, now he’s got an inhaler.

“When I found out about the mould situation I got in contact with (housing association) Moat, I explained that my son was in the hospital but it wasn’t until January they came and fitted a dehumidifier.”

She said this was taken away again five weeks later, but the mould persisted and little Billy has been in and out of hospital since then.

The mould was caused by a leak from a flat upstairs which the housing association, Moat, repaired in January.

“Not being listened to has affected my mental health and seeing my son in and out of hospital with all these medications pumping into him has been upsetting,” said Ms Clancy.

“It’s traumatic, I’m having nightmares that my son will die.

“We have to hold him down when we put a nebuliser on him so he doesn’t move, it can be quite traumatic for him.”

And because he is getting so sick, Chaileigh said she has been told not to take Billy to playgroups around other children to not put him at risk of catching any illnesses.

Moat said it carried out a soft mould wash on April 8. Ms Clancy was moved to a hotel on Tuesday for the cupboards to be chemically washed and repainted on Wednesday of last week.

But the mum said she is “petrified” to return with her son as planned as she fears the mould will come back.

A spokesman from Moat said: “We are very sorry to hear of Ms Clancy’s son’s poor health and have been in regular contact with her.

“The leak which was the source of the problem was fixed in January. A follow-up survey scheduled for April 4 showed the two cupboards affected had dried out sufficiently for final repairs to be undertaken, but that some mould remained.”

Pictured top: Chaileigh Clancy with Billy