In February 2022, Schayene Silva eagerly transitioned into her new residence with anticipation.

However, her excitement was short-lived, as a few months later, she was plagued by severe heartburn, incessant coughing, and episodes of vomiting.

Worried about her health, Silva consulted a doctor who attributed her discomfort to mere gas. Yet, her symptoms persisted. Over the next three years, she sought advice from seven additional doctors, all of whom similarly misdiagnosed her ailment as a digestive issue.

Finally, in October 2024, the eighth doctor took a different approach, recommending an MRI scan. This pivotal decision unveiled the alarming root of her discomfort: cancer.

The scan exposed a tumor on her left kidney, identified as Stage 1 clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC), the most prevalent form of kidney cancer in the United States.

Although the exact cause of kidney cancer often remains elusive, factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption can lead to DNA damage, resulting in tumor development. Silva, who neither smoked nor drank excessively, was informed by doctors that her condition was simply a case of misfortune.

The mother-of-two had the tumor surgically removed in April 2025, but she was determined to find the root cause to keep it from coming back. After researching potential causes online, Silva decided to have her home tested for mold, which produces toxins linked to organ damage and some forms of cancer.

Initial testing came back clear until Silva thought to investigate her ice machine. After pulling the outer case apart, she discovered the machine was ‘covered in mold.’ 

Schayene Silva (pictured) was diagnosed with Stage 1 kidney cancer in April 2025 at age 38. Further testing revealed the culprit may have been mold in her home

Further testing revealed Silva had ten times the normal amount of Ochratoxin in her body, a toxin produced by Aspergillus (green) and Penicillium (blue) molds. 

According to the World Health Organization, the most notable effect of Ochratoxin is kidney damage, but the toxin may also have effects on fetal development and on the immune system.

‘I started having this flank pain that wouldn’t go away, and that’s when I started going to the doctors,’ Silva said.

One doctor told her she ‘was too young to have cancer,’ she recalled, adding that ‘Nobody took me very seriously until someone sent me for an MRI and CT scan.’

Silva said she learned about her diagnosis ‘through the online portal,’ which said a mass was found on her kidneys.

‘All I could do was cry,’ she said. ‘It was really horrible. For weeks I was crying, but then I had to pick myself up. I started doing all the research I could.’

Kidney, also called renal, cancer strikes around 80,000 Americans every year and kills 15,000, making it the seventh-most common cancer in the US. 

CcRCC, which starts in the cells that help filter waste out of the blood, makes up about eight in 10 kidney cancer cases.

The disease typically affects older Americans, with an average diagnosis age of 65. Only six percent of patients are aged between 35 and 44, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The exact causes are unclear, but a growing body of evidence suggests toxins produced by certain kinds of mold could raise the risk.

Pictured above are mold spore samples from Silva’s ice machine, which she believes may have caused her kidney cancer

Pictured above is the level of Ochratoxin A found in Silva’s body, significantly higher than normal limits

Mold typically takes just one to two days to begin growing in high-moisture areas like dishwashers and ice makers, though it can take weeks or months for more obvious signs like odors and visible stains to appear.

There are several types of mold that are more dangerous than others. The most severe form, black mold, produces dangerous chemical compounds called mycotoxins that, when inhaled repeatedly, cause cognitive impairment, mood changes, asthma-like symptoms, headaches, coughs, muscle aches and autoimmune responses. 

When the body detects toxins, such as spores in the air, the immune system launches a massive defense, sending out a storm of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that act like emergency alarms.

Inflammatory cytokines can travel throughout the body via the bloodstream and reach every organ system, including the endocrine system and the brain. Mold then triggers inflammation, damages tissues and attacks vital cells and neurons.

Silva’s testing, which is usually done with urine or blood tests, showed Ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin produced by green and blue molds. It is also considered a nephrotoxin, meaning it triggers inflammation and cell death in the kidneys, increasing the risk of cancer.

Silva (pictured in the hospital) is now cancer free and has had no symptoms since having surgery and getting rid of her ice machine

‘I was devastated,’ Silva said. ‘I have two little boys, [so] all I could think of was that I was going to die.

‘When I had my surgery, I was like, “What do you think caused it? There has to be one thing.” [The doctor] said they can’t really tell. He said, “It’s probably just bad luck.”

‘I wouldn’t accept bad luck. If there’s one thing I am, I’m very lucky.’

Silva is now cancer free after surgery and has stopped using her ice machine, which she said has alleviated symptoms like heartburn, nausea, hair loss and anxiety. 

‘I haven’t had any panic attacks, I’m able to drive again, my hair is growing, my nails are growing,’ she said.

‘Once you’re out of exposure, your body knows how to heal. I knew [the doctor] was wrong, so I didn’t give up. I feel like I have beat it. I’m good.’