By: Don Driggers

A family of four was poisoned by toxic black mold hidden in their Upper West Side apartment — leaving their young son covered in painful pus-filled sores and forcing the family to flee New York, a new lawsuit claims.

Photographer Jae Donnelly, who has lived in the city for two decades, first raised concerns about mold in his two-bedroom unit at the upscale Sessanta building on West 60th Street back in January 2024. But despite repeated warnings, building management allegedly refused to properly address the problem, allowing the spores to spread throughout the apartment.

The NY Post first reported the case last week after obtaining the family’s Manhattan Supreme Court complaint, which accuses Align Management and the building’s owners of negligence and recklessness that led to serious health issues for the Donnellys.

Donnelly described the ordeal as “appalling” and heartbreaking. “I’ve never been around people who showed total disregard for my family’s health,” he told the paper. “My children were just expected to put up with all of this.”

The problem began when a handyman came to fix a leak in the apartment early last year. While workers replaced a damaged section of wall and flooring, Donnelly says they never conducted proper mold testing despite his protests. Later, a second leak revealed mold bubbling behind the family’s couch, which was so severe they had to throw out the furniture.

According to the lawsuit, the building’s management failed to ensure the leaks were properly repaired, allowing toxic mold — including the dangerous strains Stachybotrys and Chaetomium — to infest walls, floors, and kitchen cabinets.

The Donnellys suffered a host of unexplained health problems: allergies, fatigue, chest pains, and vertigo. Most distressingly, their infant son developed painful pustules on his skin that left him screaming. Blood tests for Jae, his wife, and their daughter showed high levels of mycotoxins, including satratoxin. Although too young to test, doctors believe the toddler was also poisoned through breastmilk.

Donnelly described how workers’ attempts to dry the apartment only spread dust and mold spores further, including on his son’s milk sterilization equipment. Despite the family’s efforts, management’s own mold assessor declared the issue resolved, prompting Donnelly to hire an independent inspector who uncovered the ongoing infestation.

After more than a year of suffering, the family moved out in May 2025 and returned to the UK. “Life was rosy before this happened,” Donnelly said. “The sun was shining, and we didn’t expect it to rain.”

Their attorney Eric Malinowski called the repeated leaks and mold growth clear proof the building’s management failed to properly address the situation.

The Sessanta, a luxury 27-story high-rise built in 2007 with rents topping $5,000 for small studios, did not respond to requests for comment.