Naava Restored Child Care Supervisor's Ability to Work

Battle symptoms caused by poor indoor air quality with Naava green walls

On Christmas Eve 2012, the child care supervisor Leena Lyytinen sat alone by campfire in the freezing cold, as due to the her neurological symptoms resulting from indoor air, she was not able to be indoors. Her condition was so bad she was hardly able to talk, let alone to play with the children or enjoy Christmas.

Already a couple of years before strange symptoms had started to haunt Lyytinen at her work place at the regional parish of Vaajakoski. Severe tiredness, deteriorating memory, thickening speech, senseless face and the asthmatic symptoms that kept getting worse, hindered the working capacity of the children’s work supervisor and, from time to time, caused rather long sick leaves.

Brush samples taken from the surfaces of the office and numerous health inspections have not revealed the source of the mysterious symptoms. Finally, in the autumn 2013, by the initiative of the head of the real estate, an indoor air cleaning smart green wall was purchased to Lyytinen’s 10 m2 office.

"It is easy to notice when you return to the office from other rooms. It makes you feel like oh, this is wonderful. By no means would I give up Naava."

The situation felt hopeless

Sensitization and the development of symptoms at the work place had an unpleasant impact on Lyytinen’s spare time too: the evenings went by lying feeble on the sofa. During the weekends, the condition slightly improved, but that time had to be used for recovering, having the upcoming working week and being sensitized on mind.

”From Monday to Wednesday symptoms increased and from Wednesday to Friday I was already nearly unable to function”, described Lyytinen.

Outdoors, her condition was good, and therefore, she used to work in her room windows open, wearing a quilted jacket. Eventually, the inexplicable health symptoms caused by indoor air made her condition so bad that she was no longer capable of working from her own office.

The inexplicable health symptoms caused by indoor air made her condition so bad that she was no longer capable of working from her own office.

After having spent her Christmas in a haze, the wandering between civil rooms, sick leaves and temporary duties frustrated Lyytinen, but the idea of returning to her own office really scared her.

When it was time to return, her greatest fear came true, as the symptoms started again despite the measures taken to clean the office. Once again, Lyytinen moved back to the civil room.

”That time I decided I would not let the situation go as bad as before, given that I had been able to enjoy asymptomatic life for quite a while already.” When Naava was installed to her room, the change for better began.

The office with the best indoor air is an absolute favorite place

Despite the new Naava, Lyytinen took the return to her office with a grain of salt, considering how bad it once had made her feel. Gradually she started to spend increasingly longer times there and the change happened almost unnoticed.

”All of a sudden I noticed that I had been able to work a full eight-hour day without any symptoms.” That full day went well as Lyytinen only left her room to go to the bathroom, to copy something or to get some coffee.

Naava has improved Lyytinen’s wellbeing at work in many ways. In addition to eliminating health symptoms, it has held back seasonal tiredness. ”It has given me a wonderfully natural and light feeling that looks after my mind.”

”All of a sudden I noticed that I had been able to work a full eight-hour day without any symptoms.”

Lyytinen describes the air of her office soft and fresh as in a forest. If Lyytinen had the chance to choose, the indoor air cleaning Naava would be a part of every room.

”I enjoy the wall enormously. It is so nice to come to work, when I am welcomed by a bright Naava. When I feel stressed about something, I go next to the wall to look at the plants and I already feel relaxed.”

Lyytinen is no longer happy to spend her workdays away from Naava. Being in other rooms immediately develops symptoms, possibly leading to a feverish evening at home. After unpleasant health symptoms her own office has become an absolute favorite place at work and also her colleagues have noticed a difference in the quality of the indoor air.

”It is easy to notice when you return to your office from other rooms. It makes you feel like oh, this is wonderful. By no means would I give up Naava”, concluded relieved Lyytinen.