OAP’s friends raise £12,000 to refurbish her home which was covered in toxic mould – amid fears she would be dead within weeks if she hadn’t moved out
- Janet Reynolds, 44, from Swindon, raised £12K to help refurbish an OAP’s home
- Read More: Shocking images show inside of mould-infested rented family home
An OAP’s friends have raised thousands of pounds to refurbish her filthy bungalow which was infested with rats and covered in deadly mould.
Janet Reynolds, 44, from Swindon, Wiltshire, had met up with her former colleague, who does not want to be named, every Thursday for 20 years.
However when Covid hit in March 2020, she stopped allowing her into the house.
Four weeks ago, when the pair were out for a cup of tea, she asked Janet for help cleaning her bungalow.
As soon as she took a look inside, Janet was ‘horrified’ by the amount of mould covering the walls, furniture and all of her friend’s possessions.
Janet Reynolds, 44, from Swindon, Wiltshire, raised thousands of pounds to refurbish her friends filthy bungalow which was infested with rats and covered in deadly mould
The chef said: ‘The house was covered in thick, black mould – it was horrendous. I could barely be in there myself.
‘I’ve known this lady for 20 years – we used to work together. She thinks of me like a daughter.
‘But after Covid happened, she stopped letting me into the house. I thought it was odd – but four weeks ago, she asked me for help cleaning.
‘As soon as I stepped in, I knew she needed to get out. Everything was covered, and she was on antibiotics for double pneumonia.’
The pensioner is registered blind – and suffers from early onset heart failure.
Since Covid, she’s been living without central heating and bathing with water from a kettle.
Janet ‘begged and pleaded’ with her friend to move in with her instead – while she sought help to refurbish the house.
She set up a GoFundMe page – which has since raised £11,950 – to pay for local tradespeople, fumigators and supplies.
The elderly woman’s, who is registered blind and suffers from early onset heart failure, bedroom was covered in deadly mould
The hallway was damp and the walls, doors and floors were covered in black mould
The sitting room had mould and moss all over the windowsill however a local damp company reached out to help
The windowsill was covered in moss from the damp conditions because since Covid, she’s been living without central heating
‘A man from the local damp company was the first person to help,’ she added.
‘He looked around, and said she’d have been dead within the month if we hadn’t moved her out.
‘Everything was just infested with rats. We had to bin all her worldly possessions – clothes, furniture, even her old photos.
‘All she has now are the clothes on her back.
‘Local tradespeople started seeing the GoFundMe and offered their services and supplies.
‘She’ll be getting a new central heating system, the rats have been pest controlled, we’re going to take up the rotten flooring and dehumidify the damp. She’ll need a whole new set of furniture, too.
Janet was pictured cleaning the elderly woman’s kitchen which was covered in deadly mould
A bedroom in the woman’s home was covered in the deadly mould and infested with rats
She set up a GoFundMe page – which has since raised £11,950 – to pay for local tradespeople, fumigators and supplies (the women’s bedroom ceiling covered in mould)
The rotten wooden flooring has been taken up and local trades people have dehumidified the damp
‘It’s been gutted – everything was just caked in thick, black mould. It’s a bit of a shell, now.’
Despite feeling ‘a little embarrassed,’ Janet’s friend feels overwhelmed by the number of people who came out to help.
‘She’s a very proud lady,’ she added. ‘I told her, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
‘She started crying – she can’t believe how generous everyone’s been. The situation was really desperate.’
Janet estimates work will be completed on the house by early January – but it’s heavily reliant on donations from members of the community.
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