SANTA CLARA, Utah — What was once a dream rental home has turned into a nightmare for a Santa Clara family who say they've fallen sick multiple times for unknown reasons over the last two years, not knowing until recently that the culprit was the house itself.
Jessica and Andrew Smart, and their two sons, Dash and Dunc, felt unexplainably sick since moving into the home.
"Chronic nosebleeds, chronic sinus problems, chronic cough, chronic nausea. I've been diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney failure since moving in and we had no reason for it," said Jessica.
Tests performed in the home and shared with FOX 13 News by the family ended up showing evidence of black mold in part of their house. A medical record also provided by the Smart's showed one of their sons was recently diagnosed with mold exposure.
"We were told to get out, get out immediately and leave our stuff here," Andrew said.
The Smart's say they don't know if the homeowner knew about the mold, but believe it was caused by flooding that occurred inside the home before they moved in.
FOX 13 News reached out to the property owner who replied, "No comment."
"When we realized maybe things hadn't been taken care of properly, as they should have in previous floods, it all clicked," said Jessica.
With moisture that stays present inside a home like the Smart's for a long period of time, experts say mold is likely to grow.
"Mold is in our environment everywhere," said Servpro owner Brad Tatum, "different types of mold are growing outside in all types of year, so when we do a mold test, we test outside then we test inside and the laboratory compares those results."
Those worried about mold in their own homes should look for signs and places to check.
"There are several colors, sometimes it's green, sometimes it's white, sometimes it's black Most of the time when mold is an issue it's around a water source" kitchens, bathrooms, sinks," Tatum explained.
The Smart's are being tested to make sure the mold is truly the cause of their multiple illnesses, but they're warning other renters and homeowners about the dangers of mold exposure
"Double check your policy to make sure mold is not an exclusion," said Jessica. "Look up what the extensive symptoms could be, they're not what you would think.
"We have hope that we can get healthy and feel better and we can get back to that funny, happy, silly, motivational family we were always known to be."
The Smart's are currently looking for temporary or permanent housing and have a GoFundMe page to help with their relocation.
