Pat, 70, was forced to move out of her Swindon bungalow shortly before Christmas after developing a chronic illness as a result of the black mould that covered the walls and furniture.
The house was cleaned and renovated with assistance from over 150 locals and about 70 businesses.
“It’s absolutely amazing what they’ve done for me,” she stated.
“I’d like to thank them all from the bottom of my heart and I am so, so grateful to them all.”
Additionally, Pat had a “awful” and “scary” rat infestation in her home.
“I would bang the radiator in the hallway and hope that they would run so I could and make a cup of tea,” she continued.
It was disgustingly smelly and black. There was water leaking, so you’d have to be careful where you walk.”
As she continued, “It just got worse and worse and worse.”
Although Janet Reynolds, a 44-year-old friend of Pat’s, had been assisting her with weekly shopping, she had not been inside Pat’s home since the pandemic and was unaware of how bad things had gotten.
Pat ultimately chose to approach Ms. Reynolds for assistance.
“I felt completely embarrassed,” Ms. Reynolds remarked.
“I thought it was impossible for anyone to live that way. I’ve never seen anything so startling.
“Thick black mould covered the entire house, from top to bottom. My breathing was labored.
“I was in here for barely thirty seconds and I had to get out the house because it was unbearable.”
