Planet Thrive has just been made aware that twenty one condo units that are part of the Marriott Hotel in Dallas, Texas and have been rented by the Environmental Health Center-Dallas under the direction of preeminient environmental illness physician Dr. William J. Rea for years, will be closing on October 31, 2016. These condos have provided safer short term accommodations for patients who have flown in from all over the world to receive treatment at the EHC-D, and have provided long-term housing to some of his patients. Margaret Tatlock, one of Dr. Rea’s patients, has been working very hard to find an investor or a small collective who could privately take over the units since safer housing is so hard to come by, yet is such a critical need for those with environmental illness. Planet Thrive is helping to put the word out to see if there is an interested party (or parties) who might want to keep these condos going, given the dire need for safer housing for this vulnerable population.

Margaret Tatlock has shared with Planet Thrive: “The closing of the 21 condo apartments affiliated with Dr. Rea’s clinic will be a huge loss to many. Hundreds and hundreds of patients from state, out-of-state, and out-of-country locations have stayed in the apartments, renting them for a designated time while pursuing their medical treatments. The ceramic tile floors, the glass and metal furniture, the organic bedding, the fragrance-free cleaning products, the close proximity to the EHC-D, and the careful non-toxic renovations, if required, all contributed to the health and well-being of the patients. And we, the patients, are so grateful. In many cases, these apartment condos were the only place in Dallas some patients could tolerate, and likely, it saved their lives.

On October 31, 2016, the environmental apartments will be closed and the Marriott plans to convert them back to regular apartments. My question and hope is, can the environmental apartments still be rescued? Can we team up, investigate the options, and find a solution? Time is short. Perhaps a philanthropist, aware of the increase in chemical and electrical pollution in our society would welcome an opportunity to protect and carry on the environmental condos for a period of time. Someone that is compassionate, aware, and determined to make a difference in the lives and health of others, is an ideal choice. Do you know such a person? Or perhaps you have another idea. You can reach me at [email protected]. Due to my electromagnetic sensitivity, I cannot always answer promptly. You may include a phone number if you wish and that may facilitate faster communication. Sincere thanks to everyone.

In summary, these environmental condos provided access to a non-toxic living space – vital to the chemically sensitive person – and vital to their pursuit of treatment. Secondly, the environmental condos demonstrated that regular hotels could be retrofitted to provide much needed special needs housing. Healthy accessible housing is not a dream, but a reality – a reality we see in these environmental condos. It’s a reality worth saving. Thanks, Margaret”

According to the EHC-D website, some of the special features of the environmentally safer condos include:

• A clean and updated HVAC system with environmentally correct components utilizing the most effective filtration media

• Filtered kitchen and shower water

• Two Austin or AllerMed air purifiers

• Ceramic tile, non-toxic grout floors and non-toxic paint

• Organic cotton sheets, towels, mattresses and shower curtains; linens are changed twice a week and rooms are cleaned with non-toxic products twice a week with daily inspections

• All furniture is made from hardwood or metal

• Secured EHC-D patient laundry room with high capacity, coin-operated washers and dryers

If you are an investor wanting to step up to help preserve these non-toxic accommodations and make a difference in the lives of hundreds, or if you know of anyone who might be interested, please send an email to Margaret at [email protected].

Please share this article widely on Facebook and other social media venues – time is running short and there are only a few weeks left for a solution to present itself before the apartments are closed. If we work together as a community we can surely find a solution in time, but we need your help. Thank you!