We’re here to raise awareness, connect people with trusted tools and testing, and provide a single place to learn, take action, and begin healing. When your body is in survival mode, you shouldn’t have to fight for answers alone. This is just the beginning. We’re building the UK’s first hub for CIRS education, advocacy, and recovery support platform, and we’re just getting started.
Mark’s Story
October 2016
The beginning - I moved into a property in Oxfordshire. By 2018, I began experiencing what I thought were just allergies: hay fever, sinus issues, puffy eyes. But no medication seemed to help. Over time, the symptoms intensified. Fatigue crept in. I became foggy, forgetful, and found it harder and harder to stay on top of work. Slowly, both my personal and professional life began to unravel.
May 2023
The real breaking point came in 2023, after a leg injury. From there, everything spiralled. Insomnia, depression, anxiety, tinnitus, balance issues, heart pain, memory loss, word-finding problems, numbness, and a deep inability to cope with everyday life. I couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t think, and could barely function. At one point, I genuinely believed I’d had a stroke.
October 2024
The turning point came when I returned home after some time away. One of my children developed a rash within minutes of walking through the door. Both of them began coughing, and I immediately felt it. That change in my body the second I stepped inside. My brain just stopped working. I couldn’t even order a pizza. That night, I went online, searching for the rash, and that’s when I first came across the term “CIRS.” Suddenly, everything started to click.
October 2024
I had the house tested in October 2024. The results were horrifying. The basement, connected to the rest of the house through the heating system, had a spore count of over 7 million per cubic metre. Our bedroom showed 150,000 pm³. My children’s room: 45,000. My office: 90,000. I left the house soon after, with only the clothes I was wearing, I never went back.
November 2024
I finally began to get answers. In the weeks that followed, I finally began to get answers. Several independent consultants told me they were almost certain I had CIRS. I underwent testing, including a 15-panel IgG screen, which confirmed that my immune system had mounted a significant response to several common moulds: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Candida. These are often found in water-damaged buildings and are known CIRS triggers. My results showed chronic immune activation, consistent with long-term exposure.
Since leaving the property, I’ve made significant progress through detox practices like binders, regular sauna sessions, light movement, and a range of supplements. However recovery is neither fast nor linear. I still have difficult days, especially after re-exposure. Even strong perfumes can bring my symptoms back. CIRS has impacted every system in my body: my brain, hormones, immune system, and my ability to work or be present with my family and friends. Still, I’m healing. My cognitive function is improving, and I’m starting to feel like myself again.
"The hardest part wasn’t just the illness. It was trying to figure everything out while I was at my worst, cognitively, emotionally, and physically. Researching this complex condition, comparing treatments, and finding support was overwhelming. And the UK healthcare system had nothing to offer."
January 2025
That’s why I started Break the Mould. I co-founded this platform to offer the kind of support I desperately needed. It’s for anyone trying to understand what’s happening to them. Anyone overwhelmed by symptoms that don’t make sense. Anyone who suspects their environment might be making them sick.