Change the Air Foundation

09/03/2026

No training. No certifications. No standards.

In most states, the person remediating mold from your home is not required to have any training, certification, or follow any recognized standard. Costs vary widely, practices are inconsistent, and consumers are largely left to navigate this on their own.

That is the reality. And until now, no one has ever collected data on what consumers actually experience because of it.

Good experience or bad, we want to hear from you.

If you have had a mold inspection or remediation in the last 12 months, your response becomes part of the first comprehensive picture of what consumers actually go through in this industry. The results go directly to lawmakers, journalists, and advocates pushing for real change.

Takes 10 to 15 minutes. Closes September 18.

➡️Take the survey:
https://www.research.net/r/ChangeTheAirFoundation

Know someone who qualifies? Please send this to them.

09/02/2026

🚨 FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE’RE ASKING: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

Today, we’re launching a first-of-its-kind national survey asking homeowners and renters to share what happened when they dealt with mold.

The inspection. The remediation. The cost. If it worked or failed.
Good experience or bad, your story matters. Here is why. 👇

In most states, there are no licensing or certification requirements for people doing this work, no required remediation standards, and limited recourse when the job fails. Yet there has never been a comprehensive picture of what consumers actually experience.

Until now.

Your response will help build the first comprehensive dataset on consumer experiences with mold inspection and remediation. The results will be analyzed and published in an official report this October and shared with lawmakers, journalists, and advocates working for change.

👤 WHO: U.S. homeowners and renters who had a mold inspection or remediation in the last 12 months

⏱️ TIME: 10–15 minutes

📅 DEADLINE: September 18, 2026

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO BE HEARD.📣

Take the survey: https://www.research.net/r/ChangeTheAirFoundation

Know someone who qualifies? Send this to them.

Every response helps tell the story.

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

Going live at 10:45 am EST from the IICRC Legislative Fly-In where our Director of Military Family Relations, Erica Thompson, will be talking about The MOLD Act and our work to advance protections for military families.

Stay tuned…

08/31/2026

With growing bipartisan support, Congress has a good opportunity to support our military families: fast-track passage of the MOLD Act.

The Virginian-Pilot’s recent coverage and editorial advocacy for the MOLD Act shows why this is an urgent health, safety and readiness issue for our service members and their families.

We are proud to have helped craft and encourage this important legislation. We look forward to continuing the conversation this week in Washington DC. More to come on that soon!

There should be little debate over the need to fast-track passage of the MOLD Act to help military families living in base housing.

08/27/2026

Swipe to see what medical gaslighting actually sounds like. 👉

It's when a patient's symptoms don't get taken seriously, and instead get chalked up to stress or anxiety. For people navigating mold-related illness or any hard to diagnose condition, it's one of the most common and painful parts of the journey.

Our newest guest post, written by Kristie Calise, shares 5 practical strategies to help you walk into your next appointment more organized and confident advocating for yourself.

If this feels familiar, you're not the only one.

Tag someone who needs to see this. 💙

➡️ Read the full article: https://changetheairfoundation.org/medical-gaslighting-what-to-do-when-doctors-dismiss-you/

Thank you, Kristie Calise, for sharing your story and your wisdom with our community.

08/26/2026

"Your labs are normal." "It's probably stress." "You're probably just anxious."

If you've heard these words while your health kept declining, you know how much damage they can do. It has a name: medical gaslighting. For people navigating mold-related illness, it's one of the most common and painful parts of the journey.

It was part of Kristie Calise's journey, too. 📝 In our newest article, Kristie shares what nearly a decade of battling complex chronic illness taught her about being dismissed, and the 5 practical strategies that helped her advocate for herself in the exam room, so you can walk into your next appointment prepared, organized, and harder to dismiss.

In this article, you'll learn:
✔️ What to bring to every appointment (and why it changes the conversation)
✔️ How to set the tone in the first 30 seconds
✔️ The one question to ask yourself BEFORE you go
✔️ What it means if you still leave feeling unheard

So many in our community know this experience firsthand. We hope Kristie's article helps you feel a little more prepared, and a lot less alone. 💙

Read it here: https://changetheairfoundation.org/medical-gaslighting-what-to-do-when-doctors-dismiss-you/

Thank you, Kristie Calise , for sharing your story and your wisdom with our community.

08/25/2026

What happens when you look at 8 years of research on mold and human health all at once?

In 2020, Dooley & McMahon published a comprehensive review of the epidemiological research on indoor dampness, mold, and human health published between 2011 and 2018.

Their search identified 114 studies spanning 30+ countries and more than 273,000 people. Every one of them was based on human data, not animal models.

The result: 98.2% of studies (112 of 114) supported a link between exposure to damp, water-damaged buildings and adverse health effects.

These weren't just breathing problems. Studies reported effects across multiple body systems, including:
✓ Neurological
✓ Immune (allergic and non-allergic)
✓ Cognitive
✓ Eyes and skin
✓ Respiratory

Yet people exposed to water-damaged buildings are still routinely told their multi-system symptoms can't be related.

📄 Read the full paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339440423_A_comprehensive_review_of_mold_research_literature_from_2011_-_2018

Save this post for later or share it with someone who needs it.

08/24/2026

Her labs came back normal. Her doctors said it was burnout, maybe anxiety. One even suggested therapy.

It wasn't. It was mold.

Ariana Thacker spent months searching for answers to symptoms that seemed unrelated: brain fog, fatigue, hair loss.

It wasn't until later that she finally learned about chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS). Today, she's at 95% recovery and sharing what she wishes she'd known from the start.

She joined Dr. Scott McMahon on our latest episode to talk about her journey, why mold illness is so often misdiagnosed, and what recovery can look like.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode at: https://changetheairfoundation.org/when-normal-labs-hide-a-real-cirs-diagnosis/

08/21/2026

So what IS CIRS? 🫁

In this clip, Dr. Scott McMahon breaks down what's actually happening in the body: why the immune system's normal backup never shows up for most people with CIRS, and what happens when one part of the immune system is left fighting the same battle over and over.

🎙️Watch or listen to the full episode with Dr. Scott McMahon and Arianna Thacker: https://changetheairfoundation.org/when-normal-labs-hide-a-real-cirs-diagnosis/

Follow for more on mold illness and CIRS recovery.