The Stinsons bought a mobile home at an auction three years ago, and were overjoyed that they would have a large place in order to raise the 4 year old little girl that they just adopted. Little did they know the health problems they were about to step into.
When they bought the home, the family, from Mauckport, Indiana, they were told at first that is was a FEMA home. However, they were also told that the home was tested and was totally free of any signs of formaldehyde.
That was a very important thing for the Stinsons to know, as formaldehyde is a chemical that is usually used in the manufacturing of mobile homes. High levels of this chemical can be very dangerous to humans.
After moving in, the entire family’s health started to go down very fast. They had multiple health problems, such as allergies, kidney diseases, bronchitis and tons of stomach aches.
Officials say that using the chemical is normal and it is used heavily during the manufacturing state. But by the time that it hits the consumer, the gases go off and evaporate and then the level of the formaldehyde comes down to a safe level for humans to reside in.
Not in the case with this home. The normal level for formaldehyde in the air is .03 per million parts. When the house was tested throughout, more then double the normal level was found throughout the home, making is dangerous for any one to live there for a long time.
The straw that finally broke the camel’s back is when Stinson had to take her daughter to the emergency room because she was complaining so much from the stomach pain that she was in. The doctors could not find anything wrong with her, other then the formaldehyde that could be causing it. The doctors told her that she should not be allowed to return home because she only gets sick when she is in the home.
So for now, the family is living at the local Super 8 hotel until they can figure something out. The company that made the mobile home has said that they really have nothing to do with the sale of home after it leaves their plant. But they did confirm that the house was a FEMA home and was later sold at a FEMA auction, but that is information that is already known.
The Indiana Department of Health will be conducting their own investigation, starting next week, to see if the home is dangerous or not. Further action can be taken from there if the tests do confirm dangerous levels.
