A Sydney woman is battling multiple chronic illnesses which she believes have been caused by toxic black mould in the walls of her rental property. Caroline Bowman, 39, had been excited to move into her new apartment in a public housing building in Windsor, north-west of Sydney, back in 2015. She had just started a legal service course at TAFE and had high hopes for the rental, which had new carpets and a fresh coat of paint. But just a few weeks later the 33-year-old mysteriously fell ill with sinus and chest infections that quickly brought her studies to a standstill. Caroline Bowman, 39, was expecting a fresh start when she moved into a new apartment in a public housing building in Windsor, north-west of Sydney in 2015 Ms Bowman said she had been fit and healthy before she moved in, but soon developed asthma, lost her appetite and consequently lost 15 kilograms as a result of the mould Ms Bowman would later be diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), thought to be caused by exposure to mould. But it would be several years before the student connected the toxic mildew in the rental to her diminishing physical condition. Ms Bowman said she had been fit and healthy before she moved in, but soon developed asthma, lost her appetite and consequently lost 15kg. 'I just had this really deep ache where I couldn't do anything', she told 9NEWS. She began to join the dots after a particularly nasty earache landed her in a doctor's office, who found aspergillus mould growing inside her ear. Ms Bowman immediately thought of the black mould spreading across the freshly painted ceiling of her bathroom. She said after a few months the rancid mildew was soon covering the entire ceiling. It took Caroline Bowman (pictured) several years to connect the toxic mildew in the rental to her diminishing physical condition Pictured: The bathroom ceiling of Ms Newman's rental covered in toxic black mould, thought to be the cause of the multiple chronic illnesses the Sydney woman is now battling 'At one point I was cleaning the wall and I noticed it was a bit wobbly when I wiped it. I poked it and it made a hole. It was growing inside the walls. They were black,' she said. Ms Bowman said she didn't immediately understand the connection between the mould and her failing health due to the brain fog she was experiencing at the time, a common symptom of CIRS. For several months doctors struggled to diagnose her condition, first prescribing her antibiotics and then antidepressants after she visited a psychologist. Ms Bowman remained convinced it was a physical illness, finally showing a doctor a photo of the black mould in her bathroom. For several months doctors struggled to diagnose her condition, first prescribing her antibiotics and then antidepressants (pictured before she fell ill from the mould) 'She was horrified, she said, "Is that your bathroom of the house that you're living in"?' she recalled. Ms Bowman spent two years in the mould-infested rental before moving to her mother's house in 2017. She funded a mould assessment of the property which revealed significant issues inside the home, which was sold in 2019 after extensive renovations. Ms Bowman told Daily Mail Australia she was in the process of seeking compensation from NSW Housing, which she claims was aware of the mould before she moved in. 'I want them to admit liability as the mould has taken so much from me, including not being able to complete my studies so I could get work', she said. Ms Bowman said she now suffers with generalised anxiety, rhinosinusitis, bronchitis, endometriosis and adenomyosis, just to name a few. Her life-long recovery from the mould is currently being supported by a CIRS specialist, but the medication is expensive and has no Medicare rebate. However after falling mysteriously ill just weeks into the move, Ms Bowman discovered black mould was growing across the ceiling of her bathroom and inside the walls of the rental The Sydney woman is seeking compensation from NSW Housing, who she claims was aware of the mould before she moved in. Pictured: Ms Bowman with the mould-infested ceiling Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman said in a parliamentary inquiry into CIRS in 2018, the symptoms of the illness have 'ruined lives, making employment and normal social interactions near impossible'. The inquiry's report asked that clinical guidelines be established for GP's and medical practitioners to better diagnose the debilitating disease. Now, 18 months later the Federal Government has acknowledged a need for more research into the connection between toxic mould and chronic illnesses. This led to the National Health and Medical Research Council pledged $2 million in November last year to fund research into biotoxin-related illnesses in Australia. Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Housing for comment. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility