A four year-old asthmatic boy almost died twice while black mould and damp spread through his family’s Reading flat, his mother claims.
Caélan Parfitt-Tegg has been admitted to hospital 25 times, including intensive care twice, with a severe viral-induced wheeze in his short life, according to single-mum Anissa Parfitt, 28.
A doctor raised concerns damp was making Caelen's condition worse and Anissa alleges housing association Metropolitan Thames Valley (MTVH) has failed to fix a leak at the block of flats in Granville Road for almost five years.
This is just one of a string of issues Anissa has raised with her living conditions, including a broken front door leaving her feeling 'terrified' and unsafe, and 'rat-infested' bins seen overflowing in shocking photos.
“I just feel completely deflated as a mother,” said Anissa, who said she first complained to MTVH in September 2018.
“They don’t seem to care about what living conditions they’re putting a single mum in with kids.”
She said that when Caélan was rushed to ICU in September 2018 and February 2019, he was on death’s door.
“We were told by doctors to prepare to say goodbye to our son. They didn’t think he was going to pull through.
“They couldn’t stress enough how serious his state was.”
Attempts by MTVH to fix the damp repeatedly failed, claims Anissa, and her family were moved into temporary accommodation for four weeks ending April 3, 2019, while major works were completed by the association – but the mould returned.
In a statement, MTVH said the issue was rectified by the works and they were not made aware of the problem returning since then, however emails seen by the Chronicle appear to show Anissa had complained to the association in December 2019 and March 2020, including reference to Caelan’s poor health.
Anissa said the damp and mold continues today, bringing with it freezing temperatures.
“Even if I put the heating on, say 28C, it still feels like you’re outside.”
She added: “He [Caelen] constantly has a cough and cold and if I don’t get him his inhalers in time, or even if I do, he goes so far downhill he’s in hospital.”
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Anissa continued: “For the last four years he has been suffering with his breathing because of a room that isn’t liveable.”
In a letter from Royal Berkshire Hospital in May 2019 and seen by the Chronicle, a doctor raised concerns about Caelan’s regular hospital visits and that the damp was making his chest symptoms worse.
Her 10-year-old son, who shares a room with Caelen, has also developed regular, less severe coughs and her one-year-old daughter was hospitalized with bronchitis in October 2021.
In a statement, a spokesperson for MTVH said: “The safety and wellbeing of all our residents is always our top priority and everyone rightly expects to live in comfort.
“That is why we have liaised with the resident since 2017 and worked with the resident and local borough services to identify the cause of damp and completed all necessary works to rectify the issue in 2019.
“Since then, we have not been made aware that the problem has returned,” they said, adding that the association will now investigate the damp and solve the issue.
They said the front door has been the target of vandalism which they are “in the process of replacing”.
Anissa said: “I don’t feel safe. I am scared to go out in the morning, because I’m scared of what I’m going to find. I’m terrified.
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A friend bought her a dog to make her feel more safe but, having not asked for permission, Anissa has been told to remove it within 28 days.
Overflowing bins at the building were a result of ‘fly-tipping’, according to MTVH, but Anissa claims the problem is there aren’t enough bins to accommodate the number of residents living there, meaning they become so full refuse collectors won’t take them.
“We are aware that fly-tipping has left the communal refuse area overflowing. Although MTVH is not responsible for waste clearance, we have been liaising with the local council for support, have requested help from pest control services and have written to residents about the issue,” said a spokesperson for the housing association.
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Anissa said she has previously requested to be rehoused by Reading Borough Council, which was supported by her doctor’s letter, but the local authority denied they had received “any recent contact”.
A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council said: “The tenant in question is on the Reading Borough Council housing register, although due to a large waiting list this is unlikely to provide a swift solution.
“We have not had any recent contact from Anissa on her housing issues, but she can submit any relevant medical information to us and we will review this to assess the level of her current housing need and ensure that is reflected in her priority for council housing.”
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