After casually walking around his parental home in Virgina – Chris Chandler makes a video of the shocking state of the place! Apparently, his mother – Barbara Chandler – is a compulsive hoarder and his father – Robert Chandler – is unable, unwilling or both, to control, limit or prevent this destructive habit from systematically destroying the family home! As a consequence, every room, every corridor and every empty space is stacked from floor to ceiling with bric-a-brac! Small spaces are kept relatively ‘free’ – but these special areas are few and far between. When the house finally burned down in 2014, two Fire-Fighters were hurt not by the flames – but rather by the hindering and falling debris that was Barbara Chandler’s life-long obsession!
Interestingly, Robert Chandler (a US Army Veteran who fought in Korea) – was a very successful engineer in his civilian life – whose many different patents also contributed to the development of the 3-D Printer! Apparently, the family made a comfortable living from these patents whilst Robert was alive and it is something of a mystery as to ‘why’ this income never continued to help Chris and Barbara after his death in 2011. Furthermore, although Chris suffers from Autism – he made an attempt to keep his bedroom relatively free of the clutter that dominated the rest of the living space. Robert Chandler is well aware of the reality (and ‘danger’) of ‘hoarding’ – and explains this to Chris whilst not realising the camera is still running and whilst assuming that the internet is situated in a specific location somewhere in the outer world! He is referred to as the ‘Lumberjack’ – as he once implied he could ‘cut-down’ the internet!
Ironically, Barbara Chandler appears to have kept-up the fully comprehensive Fire Endurance on the family home – because after the 2014 inferno – the Insurance Company moved Barbara and Chris to very good temporary accommodation whilst their home was completely repaired, re-structured, cleaned, re-decorated, re-carpeted and re-furnished! This gave the family a new start – and as money was now thin on the ground – Barbara was no longer able to make the endless impulse purchases that had led to the original hoarding situation. A recorded telephone call with a local Church official in the area states that Robert Chandler had died from toxic-shock brought on by insect or flea bites received all over his body whilst he slept in bed! This demonstrates that although it is Chris who has the registered disability – this type of parental dysfunction was not his fault.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 