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Grace Under Water’s Vision

The vision of Grace Under Water is to be a credible and evidence-based source of information and support for families in Canada who are trying to make sense of chronic health issues related to water-damaged buildings.

Beliefs:

• Parents are motivated and capable stewards of their child’s health and development;
• Parents know their children best, and want what is best for their children;
• Those who have been personally impacted by water damaged buildings have experience, knowledge, and insight that is valuable.
• Family-centred and informed professionals can support clients better by respecting client knowledge and by collaborating with clients to make decisions;
• Barriers such as fear, lack of public awareness, financial stressors, and parental illness can make decision-making more challenging;
• Despite these challenges, parents can, with knowledge and a calm, clear approach, make meaningful change for their families.

Mission:

1. To provide evidence-based information and resources for families needing to make decisions regarding their home and their health because of water damage, and related illness;
2. To collect and present data and stories about families’ experiences of illness caused by water-damaged buildings, mould and other environmental toxins;
3. To explore secondary issues related to environmentally-based chronic illness (e.g. social isolation, schooling, parenting with chronic illness);
4. To provide tools for supporting families in making choices based on their unique circumstances.

Our environment matters.  

Our environment affects the health and development of our children.  Positive aspects of our environment can support our children’s health while negative ones can cause harm.  This may be particularly true of the environment in which we spend much of our time: our homes.

Information matters.

When families have good information they can make good decisions.  With so much information available to you, it is helpful to have critical skills to know where to find credible information, how to evaluate the quality of information, and how to determine what information applies to your family.  Information can be over-whelming, inaccurate, and misleading.  The ability to critique information can make decisions easier.

Your family’s health matters.

Informed and motivated parents can make good decisions about their family’s environment.   Empowered parents can affect positive environmental and health changes for their children.  You may find this process much more effective from a place of calm reflection and exploration, rather than from a place of fear.

About Grace Under Water:

Heather Boyd is the founder of Grace Under Water.  Hidden water damage in her family’s home led to a great deal of research to support decisions regarding remediation, renovations, and the home environment.  It also led to the discovery that there were people, many of whom had children, who had been made extremely ill, and chronically ill, by exposure to water-damaged buildings.  Many of these families are advocating for understanding from their health care providers and family members, doggedly looking for credible information that applies to them, and are determined to find a route to improve their family’s health.  Unfortunately, many have experienced inaccurate, misinformed, and harmful advice from professionals and well-meaning people.  This led to Grace Under Water.

Copyright 2018 Heather Boyd