Laura Levine moved into an apartment at South Side on Lamar in July 2019. After only a few weeks, she said she became ill.
"A few weeks after I moved in, I got an upper respiratory infection. After that, I got ear infections in both ears,” said Levine.
She said she went to seven doctors and even had a sinus operation, but she didn’t get better.
"I’ve had surgery, and I thought what is wrong? And there were times when I thought I was going to die,” said Levine.
She suffered chronic health issues for nearly a year.
Then she said she went to a specialist, who finally figured out what was wrong with her.
“And it wasn’t until eight months into living there, maybe nine months, until I found out mold was potentially the issue,” said Levine.
She said they found mold after doctors took a nasal culture.
Then, Levine hired Mold Inspection Sciences of Dallas to check her apartment, and the report showed high levels of mold in her air conditioning system.
”The amount of mold in the air is of a magnitude that the mold experts were shocked at the amount of mold and substances in the air that were being blown into the air, and into her lungs and through her body,” said Dave Wishnew, Levine’s attorney.
Levine said she went to the apartment management for help and they offered to have the system cleaned. But Levine and her attorney said the mold is in her furniture and all her belongings, and can’t be removed without specialized equipment. So, Levine moved out and has been living with friends.
"It’s really a long process, and it was going to cost me upwards of up to $8,000 for my furniture, and that does not include the clothes,” said Levine.
She has now sued South Side on Lamar’s owners for her mounting medical bills and the cleaning of her belongings.
“What she has been through, we are here to right a wrong,” said Wishnew.
WFAA asked South Side on Lamar for comment multiple times. They have yet to respond.
As for Levine, she said she has to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber to remove the toxins in her body.
She said she hopes it will work, so she can feel better again.