I am absolutely distraught after our family home has been exposed to brown asbestos.

The builder renovating our internal garage said the walls and ceiling were cement board. He ripped them all down, and smashed the pieces to put them into small plastic bags. I helped him sweeping and bagging it, and walking it through the house to the garden. I then cleaned up after he left, hoovering the room and wiping down the surfaces and appliances. I put an old rig in the bin that threw a whole cloud of dust in my face.

I was in and out of the room walking dust all through the house. My husband and children were also in and out of the room over four days.

On the fifth day we began to worry after a plumber said it could be asbestos and had it tested, it came back as brown and white asbestos, AIB.

I have read that amosite asbestos is one of the most dangerous, as is AIB as it’s friable and releases lots of fibres into the air. We must all have breathed so, so much in. I am terrified for my family and for myself.

On day four we sealed off the room and we have a professional clearance company booked but it feels too little too late. My husband and I haven’t slept for days worrying about the children and whether we will see them grow up, or even worse if they will die horribly in 20-30 years time. Everything I read says that amosite is one of the most dangerous, that it stays in your lungs the longest and is responsible for most cancers and mesothelioma. And it’s most dangerous to children.

I don’t know how I will ever live happily again. What should I do now? Can we even live in a house so contaminated? Will I be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life? I’m literally bursting into tears every time I look at my babies.