Laura Acevedo joined the ABC 10News team in April 2017 as a reporter and multimedia journalist.
SAN DIEGO — A San Diego State University student's family says mold in a campus dorm room made their daughter sick throughout her freshman year — and now they want the school to return the money she paid to live there.
Isabella Villegas was excited to start college at SDSU last fall. The La Mesa freshman wanted the full on-campus experience and moved into Zura Hall in August. Shortly after moving in, her parents say she began getting sick.
'From a cold, runny nose, congestion, sore throat, a cough, she was waking up with migraine,' said Shannon Villegas, Isabella's mom. About a month after moving in, her parents say Isabella noticed what appeared to be mold inside her dorm room. They shared videos and pictures of the vents in her room with ABC 10News. They believe the mold was making her sick, and say doctors agreed.
'When she was home, she could breathe. She wasn't stuffed up. She wasn't waking up with headaches, so it was clear that every time she would go back there, she was immediately sick,' said Villegas. Her parents showed me her medical bills, which included several emergency room and urgent care visits.
As time passed, they say Isabella's condition worsened.
'It ended up with peritonsillar abscesses that she had to have a surgery on and then an emergency tonsillectomy,' said Villegas. Isabella moved out in February, and her parents say her health has improved significantly. But she remains tied to her lease at SDSU, and her family wants the school to return the rent money she paid throughout the year.
'She's paying out of her own pocket because she wanted the full college experience, so she's out thousands of dollars,' said Villegas. ABC 10News reached out to San Diego State University about Isabella's case, and they sent us the following statement: Isabella's parents say they have followed every step to be released from the housing agreement, including submitting medical documentation, but have not received a response.
'They basically have ghosted us and just kind of just slowballed us the whole way through so far, and we've heard nothing,' said Dre Villegas, Isabella's dad. This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Parents Say Mold Made Daughter Sick San Diego State University Sdsu
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