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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ben Barry & Charlotte Bateman & Ryan Merrifield

Mum says son is 'struggling to breathe' in flat that's 'covered in so much black mould'

A mum said her asthmatic son was "struggling to breathe" in their flat because it is covered in mould.

Aisha Hussain said the thick black mould in the living room and on the bedroom walls has had a detrimental impact on 16-year-old Justin's condition.

She said the teenager has been on prescribed steroids for three weeks and is using an asthma mask to help him breathe.

The mum-of-three, 31, said one of her kids, Shahroz, is two; the same age as tragic Awaab Ishak who died due to prolonged exposure to mould in December 2020, reports MyLondon.

Aisha and her kids moved into the property in Harlesden, west London, in November last year.

She said she has tried to use mould remover and has contacted her landlord - who manages the property - but said she is "slowly giving up" because there's "no help".

Aisha Hussain and her two year old son Shahroz (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)

Aisha, a stay-at-home mum, said: "It is stressing me out. I have been to the doctor with high blood pressure and my heart has been out of rhythm because of stress.

"I've heard of a little boy aged two die of this, and my baby is two. This mould is at the end of his bed and at the side of the bed where he sleeps.

"I ring the council every day for help, but nobody seems to be there to help me. I have put in a disrepair claim for condensation and I have lost furniture and clothes due to the stains from the mould."

On November 18, 2022, Aisha was admitted to Northwick Park Hospital with breathing problems and heart palpitations.

Aisha's children Shay and Shahroz (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)
Justin has asthma (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)

She was kept in overnight for observations and was given tablets to reduce stress and was kept on a drip to keep her dehydrated.

In June 2022, Aisha received a visit from Environmental Health who said the issue was due to condensation.

Aisha says she has been told that there is nothing Brent Council or her landlord can do to address the issue - leaving her exhausted and at the stage of giving up.

She said: "I get told to open the windows to ventilate the flat. In my room there is no windows, how can you ventilate a flat that just has three windows?

The stress of the situation has seen Aisha go to the hospital (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)
The mum worries for her children's health (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)

"One of my children has severe asthma, it has affected his breathing, he has been on steroids for three to four weeks and is in and out of the asthma mask."

Aisha shares the flat with her three children - Justin, 16, Shay, 13, and two-year-old Shahroz.

She said she "doesn't know what else to do" and has set up a GoFundMe page to help with the costs of clothes and items that have had to throw away and replace.

Aisha said: "Every property I have been in since the age of 16 has had a problem - I haven't had a home to call home. I don't have anywhere else to go and I can't go to a B&B as they will stick me in one bedroom with me and my three children.

Aisha said she has nowhere else to turn (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)
The mum has tried contacting her landlord to resolve the issue (Aisha Hussain/ SWNS)

"I am paying around £2,000 a month for a flat that is unliveable. In October, my case officer said I would get moved, we are in November now and I am still here.

"It is not just the winter. In the summer you can't breathe in this flat as there are three windows in total." Aisha feels abandoned by the council. She said: "When I go to the council, they fob me off.

"Every time I go to ring them, my case worker is on annual leave, and my case is not being properly looked at as there is nobody here to look at it. The landlord has come in and given me spray, I have sprayed it down and it makes the mould ten times worse."

A Brent Council spokesperson said: “It is our aim for everyone in Brent to live in a safe and secure home. We take concerns about poor quality or overcrowded private accommodation very seriously and inspect properties quickly whenever problems are raised.

"As in all situations like this, we have offered the family temporary accommodation and have also served a notice to the landlord to address the safety concerns.

“The welfare of the family is our upmost priority so we will continue to look for temporary accommodation that meets the family's needs and work with the landlord to see that any safety concerns are resolved urgently."

Click here to donate to Aisha's fundraising page.

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