Florida Letters for First Lady Casey DeSantis

Denise Reynolds’ Son

Dear First Lady DeSantis,
I am an Ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall and the Florida State Lead.
Sadly, I am compelled to reach out to you as a mother and a citizen of the state of Florida.
I appreciate the time you are taking to read this letter in full.
My son is Chason Sloane Reynolds Forever27, as of 11/20/2021. He was poisoned and
murdered by a drug I had no knowledge of called fentanyl. I know it only too well now in
2023. Chason’s passing was unexpected and has torn the hearts of his family and anyone
that knew him into a million pieces that could never be restored. I have in my possession
many letters I saved throughout the years from our Senator Don Gaetz congratulating
Chason on his many academic achievements, his leadership, and his representation of
Okaloosa County in our Panhandle. The letters were encouragement for future endeavors
and personally expressed his offer to help in any way, if needed.
Chason made his own way and graduated with a few degrees. He chose Chemical
Engineering at Lockheed Martin and loved processing materials for our US Military Aircraft
specifically F-35 and C-130.
I became involved with the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall not long after his passing.
Chason’s picture was recognized along with the victims that left their loved ones before
him. That was huge for me, my son was not forgotten. I am forever grateful for the people
that made that happen. I was not expecting this drug epidemic to get to the level it has, so
I am concerned for the families that do not have a special place to honor their child that
was poisoned.
I wanted to contact you, as the First Lady of our state of Florida, for a plea for help to the
Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall so the victims of our state could see their lost loved one was
not forgotten. This is Chason’s voice, and I am so proud of him for he never gave up until
he completed his mission 100 percent, he was driven. I am his mother. Our family is lost,
what happened? We will never know. What I do know is that at the very least we can do is
ease some pain and show their beautiful faces on a Memorial Wall somewhere.
If you could please help the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall, make this happen for our state
of Florida, I know my boy would be so proud. That is just who he was, and he loved his
home state.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Denise Reynolds, FL State Lead
chasonmac1@yahoo.com; 850-603-3483
Destin, FL

Monique Nuss Myers’ Brother

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am the Florida State Lead and ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Wall. I lost my brother,
Randall Mathew Nuss, in 2003, to an accidental Oxycontin overdose in Florida. He just
graduated High school and was about to start college. He was the best brother ever. I love
and miss him so much. He was such a handsome young man with his whole life ahead of
him. Randall always had a smile on his face. I also attached a poem I wrote for my brother.
We have been battling the drug epidemic for over 20 years. I know many families that
have lost loved ones to this. It's out of control. My brother is forever 18.
I know you have children. Would you please assist us in finding a permanent location for
our Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol? We have created two Memorial
Walls. One with photos and one with names. I am including my little brother, Randall M.
Nuss’ frame below. I am also including the brochure of Virtual Memorial Walls, Albums,
and our awareness Campaign.
These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like these photos
displayed in hard copy format. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so we can
touch our loved one’s name. We would like our loved ones treated like victims. They were
all Victims of Purdue Pharma (an American Cartel) hence my brother Randall M. Nuss and
many others. Now, they are victims of the Chinese and the Mexican Cartels. We are using
the word “drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users, like racism.
A group of Florida moms and loved ones would love to meet with you and work together to
prevent this from happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Monique Nuss Myers, FL State Lead
Palm Coast, FL

OH RANDY, RANDY, HOW CAN THIS BE THE GOOD LORD TOOK YOU AWAY FROM
ME
YOU WERE MORE TO ME THEN MY BABY BROTHER, I WAS LIKE YOUR SECOND
MOTHER
IT IS SO HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO DO
WITHOUT YOU MAN
I GUESS IT WAS JUST YOUR TIME, I DON’T KNOW HOW I WILL EVER BE FINE
IF IT WASN’T FOR PURDUE, I WOULD STILL HAVE YOU
IF ONLY PURDUE COULD UNDERSTAND THAT MONEY ISN'T THE ONLY THING IN
HAND
IF PURDUE WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO CARE THEY WOULD MAKE OXYCONTIN
FOR SEVERE PAIN ONLY AND BE FAIR
MY HEART IS BROKEN AND IT WILL NEVER BE REPAIRED UNTIL THAT DAY WE
REUNITE AND I SEE YOU WAITING FOR ME IN THE LIGHT
I MISS THE SMILE ON YOUR FACE, I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT AGAIN TO FILL THIS
EMPTY SPACE
I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH, I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL THAT HAPPY DAY
WHEN I FEEL YOUR TOUCH
YOUR SISTER, MONIQUE

Intentional Blank Page

Cheri Hofmann’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
It is hard to put into so few words what a wonderful person Patrick “Quinn” Hofmann was.
Quinn had one brother and three sisters. Quinn was a protector, the fixer, and the kindest
soul you could ever meet! He loved life, his family, and he wasn’t prepared to die at age
38. Quinn was an Army Iraqi War Veteran, who served his country with honor for 9 years.
He loved the military life and the camaraderie that came along with it. Due to an injury
while in Iraq, Quinn was offered a medical discharge. He was convinced this was the best
for him. When he left the Army and began transitioning back into the civilian world, he lost
the camaraderie he once had with his military family. He began a complicated and difficult
journey to find that same sense of belonging; he wanted that unbreakable bond. Instead of
friendship, time after time he fell in with the wrong crowd and relationships. Quinn had
injured his back during his time in service and his injuries were considered inoperable and
would worsen with time. He was prescribed a narcotic pain medication to help with his
pain. A few years into the medication making his pain tolerable, stricter prescription laws
were passed. The VA could no longer prescribe the medication he had become so
dependent on using. He tried to deal with the pain, but he ended up turning to the streets
to buy these street pills. With the back injury coupled with PTSD, he did not know how to
function without a way of numbing himself. These drugs gave him the ability to exist in his
own world without the stress, pain, and anxiety he felt without them. There were many
sleepless nights for our family during his active addiction. We knew that he loved us, that
he didn’t want to die -- but we also knew his addiction was more powerful than anything
we were capable of fighting on our own.
After an arrest for some stolen goods, I was able to get him into a court in this area called
“VA Court”. This court was established to get veterans back on track. Eventually, as
Quinn’s mother I pleaded with the VA Court to place Quinn into a residential rehab and
work towards a recovery rather than just punishment time and time again. Luckily the
judge agreed, and Quinn was placed in a 17-month residential program to get him into
recovery called Pathways for Change. This was the miracle we were ALL waiting for!
Now, let’s fast forward. Quinn was clean for nearly 3 years after completing his program.
He was healthy, he was clean, and his life was heading in the direction he always wanted
it to. Everything was finally falling into place for him, and we were all so proud of him!
There were bumps in the road, yes – because Quinn was still the fixer. In September
2022, tragedy struck our family, and we lost Quinn’s brother to suicide. It was unexpected
and Quinn took it very hard. He was seeing a girl who we later discovered was an addict.
She saw this loss to get what she wanted. Just months before he died, we will never forget
the day he closed on his own home; he was just so proud of himself and his
accomplishment of his very own home! There were FaceTime’s with tours, lots of calls,

IMs, text messages on how happy he was. But he moved this girl in with him, I pleaded
with him not to. Then we started seeing signs that maybe things were not right. He would
say “it is complicated, I will be okay, don’t worry, I love you”. These would be the last
words we heard from him. She used his generous nature to get what she wanted. We
found out through his text messages she had the connections to all the drugs. The
problem is these drugs were laced with meth and at first small doses of pain medication
for his back she would give him until the fatal dose of fentanyl poisoning. On April 3, 2023,
Quinn died in his new home not even 3 months after bringing her back into his life. His
autopsy would tell the story that he laid there 6 hours after taking his last breath until an
ambulance was called.
Fentanyl poisoning is what took him from us, but that is not how we want him to be
remembered. Quinn had an infectious laugh that could turn any bad day around. He
wasn’t his addiction to our family; he was a son, brother, father, an uncle, and friend. He
was a person just like anyone else struggling to fit into a world where drugs are so easily
accessible.
Fentanyl poisoning is killing people from every state in the US. It is being manmade and
they level that are being put into these street pills that could kill 10 people. This woman
and the drug dealer who supplied Quinn with that fatal dose should be held accountable.
Just like the hundreds of others who are dying at the hands of these types of people.
Quinn didn’t want to die. He was a victim, basically he was murdered. This needs to be
addressed.
Please help us get a drug memorial wall in our State Capitol to honor our victims of this
War on Drugs.
Sincerely,
Cheri Hofmann
Navarre, FL

Intentional Blank Page

Christie Rigney’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
My name is Christie Rigney, and my son Kyle Louis Rigney was murdered on December
13, 2020. He was born on October 23,1990. He was 30 years old and my first-born son.
He was poisoned by cocaine laced with fentanyl and carfentanil. He always said, “Mom,
you can’t overdose on cocaine”. He didn’t overdose, he was poisoned.
Kyle was a son, a father, a brother, an uncle, a grandson and a best friend. He had two
little girls; an 11-year-old named Savannah and an 8-month-old named Ila. He loved them
dearly. They were his world. Ila, the youngest, also lost her mother 11 months later. So his
daughter does not have a father or a mother because of fentanyl.
My son fought his addiction hard. He never wanted to be addicted. He had been to many
rehabs over the years. He wanted to be clean. He did not want to die! The police did
nothing about his murder, even though there is evidence on his phone. They treated him
like he was not worth their time. My ex-husband was military, so we travelled a lot.
Georgia is where my son attended high school and lived. He was in Florida when he was
murdered.
My son had the biggest heart. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He
was loved by many. He was my best friend! We talked and texted every day!
His best friend committed suicide 7 months later to the day. He said he wanted to be with
his friend.
It took me a long time to write this letter, as the hurt is so strong that I didn’t want to bring
myself back to this day. Surely you have someone that you love, a child, a grandson and if
you had to endure this pain, maybe you would push to get something done to stop it. We
must fight! Fight to stop the murders happening to our children!
This must stop! We have lost so many to illicit fentanyl. Close the borders!
We are asking for a drug memorial wall to be placed in honor of our loved ones at the
State Capitol. They are victims of the War of Drugs. Please help us place a memorial wall
in the Florida Capitol.
Signed by a mother, who misses her son dearly.
Christie Rigney
Perry, Georgia

Cindy Dodds’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
My name is Cindy Dodds. My son Kyle Cole Dodds was poisoned by fentanyl flowing
across our southern border and through USPS. As an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic
Memorial Walls, I am asking if you would help us find a permanent location within our
Capitol here in Florida for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall. There are two walls, one
with photos and one with names including our beloved and so missed Kyle Cole Dodds
(24).
Included with this letter is Kyle’s frame, and a brochure of the virtual walls, albums, and
our awareness campaign. These virtual walls update automatically. It would be
awesome if we could display the photos in hard copy as well. The intention is to have the
wall of names projected onto a wall so that parents and loved ones can touch the name of
the person lost to this horrible epidemic. All these names were victims first of Purdue
Pharma (an American cartel) and many, many others. But ultimately, they are victims of
Chinese and Mexican cartels, as you know.
Mrs. DeSantis, we are an army of devastated moms, dads, sisters, brothers, etc. The
strongest group are us moms, like you and me. We are reaching out to all our first ladies
across America. Because I know you have already been involved in stopping this murder
across Florida, I am reaching out to you personally for your help.
Losing a son is something you cannot understand, and I am thankful for that. Even though
you try to prepare yourself for it when your child is caught in addiction, you can’t. Our Kyle
is with Jesus and doing great, but we remain committed to honoring his life by saving
others. Please help us with this. Education really is the best way. Last year in Orlando,
we had an art exhibit at the Museum of History of 41 loved ones lost to addiction. The
artist drew pictures of all our sons/daughters. It was staggering to see and hear how it
impacted the public. Some walked away in tears reading the life stories and some asked
great questions and were educated. This is how I see the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls
going.
Thank you for your time. From one mom’s heart to another…
Cindy Dodds
Key Biscayne, FL

Corrine DeJarnette’s Daughter

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
My name is Corrine DeJarnette and I am a member of the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall
campaign. Our goal is to put up a Memorial Wall in all 50 State Capitol complexes to honor our
lost loved ones and continue to provide a voice for them. We are all victims of this national drug
epidemic. Our nation is better than this, and we need to continue to shed light on this national
drug crisis. To successfully do this, we need your help. Will you help us to let the nation know
that WE, as Floridians, will do all we can to stop these senseless deaths?
My daughter was a warm and loving person, younger sister to her brother, aunt to 3, and best
friend to me and her fiancé. She had a happy, addictive laugh that would have everyone in the
room laughing with her sense of humor.
Kaitlin Elizabeth DeJarnette was born 9/21/1995, my youngest child of 2 and my only girl. Kaitlin
loved her family and her friends and any kind of animal. She would do anything she could to help
anyone/anything in need. Katie will forever be 26 years old. She struggled with addiction to
opioids, specifically heroin, in the beginning, for 6 years after hanging with “the wrong crowd”.
She had several stays in private and County run rehabs and did better and better each time at
working her Recovery Program. She was finding full-time employment, paying her debts, and
wanting to be a productive member of society. She even talked about becoming an addiction
counselor after her probation was done and she could get back into college. She was known in
the rehabs she did attend as someone to always be there for the newer house members; to
show them the ropes and help them find their way, was honest with them when they made a
wrong choice and was looked up to by her peers in recovery.
Her struggle caused her so much unhappiness, but I know she did not want to die. The disease
of addiction has no cure, it is a lifelong struggle for those caught in its web with someone always
around in her time of weakness to sell her the relief she craved: freedom from the horrible illness
and emotional pain she suffered from. Her need for relief was always around the corner, a
person ready to steal her life to make money and with no regard for human life.
In the early morning of March 17, 2022, I received a phone call from Kaitlin’s fiancé crying and
yelling “she’s blue Ma, you have to come now, the Sherriff’s are here”. It was my worst fear come
true; my beautiful baby girl was gone from an accidental overdose of fentanyl! I refuse to have
her become another “statistic” in this horrible epidemic. I will be an advocate in this fight and an
ally to those struggling in similar situations. This is why I ask that you help all of us honor our
loved ones. Kaitlin forever 26.
Sincerely and with Warm Regards,
Corrine DeJarnette
Port Richey, FL

Crystal Hoozer’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son,
Mathew on July 19, 2022, he is forever 20. He was poisoned by fentanyl, and we are all
devastated. Mathew was a very happy kid who would do anything to put a smile on
someone’s face, he also had the most beautiful smile. He had to fight from day one he
was born, congenital heart defect had open heart surgery at 10 days old. He then had to
have repeat open-heart surgery at five and then again at 18. He wanted to get married and
have a family.
I know you have three beautiful children; I have five, Mathew has 4 other siblings that are
forever shattered by the loss of their brother. This letter is to kindly ask you to assist us in
finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol.
We have created two memorial Walls, one with photos and one with names. I am
including Mathew’s frame, below. I am also including the brochure of virtual memorial
walls, albums, and our awareness campaign.These digital walls and albums update
automatically. We would also like the photos displayed in hard copy format. The wall of
names can be projected on a wall so parents can touch their loved one's name. We would
like our loved ones to be treated like victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (an
American cartel) and many, many others. Now, they are victims of Chinese and the
Mexican Cartels. Many are also victims of fatal diseases like cancer. We are using the
word “drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users - like racism.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Crystal Hoozer
New Berry, FL

Eleanor & Dale Finkbeiner’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
My name is Eleanor Finkbeiner, and I am writing to you to share my story of the loss of my
beloved son, and only child, Kevin Quinn Finkbeiner, to the deadly drug of fentanyl at only 19
years of age. I am writing this to you as a fellow mother, and I know you are a strong supporter
and advocate of the family. Families are being torn apart and shattered by this fentanyl crisis.
I want to share a little background on my son, Kevin. After suffering three heartbreaking
miscarriages, we were finally blessed to have our miracle son, Kevin, in 1999. He was truly the
light of our lives and brought us so much joy. Kevin was an avid car enthusiast from the time he
was just a little toddler (he had quite the Hot Wheels collection!). As a recent high school
graduate his plan was to pursue his dream of being an Auto Mechanic but fentanyl took that
dream away. His father found him deceased in his bedroom in our house when he arrived home
from work. Our lives have been shattered and to say life is very empty and incomplete without
our handsome, sweet son would be a major understatement.
Kevin was known to his family and friends as kind, compassionate and caring. Kevin's great love
for animals showed through with his gentle nature with our many pets (strays) that would end up
in our neighborhood, and he often volunteered at our local Humane Society. He was quite a
comedian and loved making people laugh with his humorous impressions and antics.
I would like to share the poem that I wrote for my beautiful Kevin's memorial service:
Driving my Supra on the highways of Heaven
Feeling at peace with no fear.
Surrounded by love with our Heavenly Father
The reflection of clouds in my rear.
For now, I am free as I cruise bathed in light.
The stars here in Heaven are a glorious sight.
So ‘til we meet again…..
When I’ll take you for a ride in my Supra in the Sky.
Eleanor Finkbeiner
We must come together in the state of Florida and across our country to put an end to this crisis
that is happening all around us.Please help us build a Memorial Wall for our lost loved ones and
to help raise awareness to this deadly epidemic which is growing exponentially higher each year.
Thank you for your time and support,
Eleanor and Dale Finkbeiner
Land O Lakes, FL

Karen M Esposito-Sherman’s Daughter

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful daughter,
Jenny, who is forever 29. She was poisoned by fentanyl, and we remain devastated. We
loved her beyond imagination. Jenny was the kindest and most empathetic person I have
ever known.
I know you have children and grandchildren. Would you assist us in finding a permanent
location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol? We have created two
memorial walls. One with photos and one with names. I am including Jenny’s frame,
below. I am also including the brochure of virtual memorial walls, albums, and our
awareness campaign.
These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like the photos
displayed in hard copy format. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so parents
can touch their loved one's name. We would like our loved ones to be treated like victims.
They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (an American cartel) and many, many others.
Now, they are victims of Chinese and the Mexican Cartels. We are using the word
“drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users - like racism.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from
happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Karen M Esposito-Sherman
Lake Worth, FL

Laura Paz’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son,
Sebastian in October 28, 2021, Forever 22. He was poisoned by fentanyl and our family is
all devastated by his loss. Sebastian was a very happy kid who would do anything to put a
smile on someone’s face. He had the most beautiful smile and gave the best hugs! Sebas
had a love for food and graduated from culinary arts school in Florida and he worked at
various restaurants.
I know you have three beautiful children; I have four. Sebastian has three other siblings
that are forever shattered by the loss of their brother.
This letter is to kindly ask you to assist us in finding a permanent location for a
Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our State Capitol. We have created two memorial
walls, one with photos and one with names.
I am including Sebastian’s frame, below. I am also including the brochure of virtual
memorial walls, albums, and our awareness campaign. These digital walls and albums
update automatically. We would also like the photos displayed in a hard copy format.
The wall of names can be projected on a wall so parents can touch their loved one's
name.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Laura Paz
Weston, FL

Leslia Collins’ Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son, Jose,
who is forever 27. He was poisoned by fentanyl, and we remain devastated. We loved him
beyond imagination. Jose was the kindest and most empathetic person I have ever known.
He loved his family, music, the beach and to be around friends.
I know you have children and know the love a mother has for their child. Would you assist
us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol?
We have created two memorial Walls. One with photos and one with names.
I am including Jose frame, below. These digital walls and albums update automatically.
We would also like the photos displayed in hard copy format. The wall of names can be
projected on a wall so parents can touch their loved one's name. We would like our loved
ones to be treated like victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (an American
cartel) and many, many others. Now, they are victims of Chinese and the Mexican Cartels.
We are using the word “drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users - like racism.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Leslia Collins
Orlando, FL

Maranda Talbert’s Sister

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I’m writing you this letter in honor of my sister, Lisamarie Kane, who lost her life to the drug
epidemic. Fentanyl destroyed my family on August 10, 2022. Her 15-year-old son found
her deceased lying on the bathroom floor of their home. She also had three young children
who she loved dearly.
My sister was a beautiful, kind and loving person. She was the backbone of our family, but
she lost her way. My sister was a person who would make people smile. She had a heart
of gold. She was very special to me, as she was my older sister.
Our family mourns her death daily as we have to live without her. She was a daughter,
mother, sister, cousin, aunt, and was very active in our family. Words cannot describe the
heartache our family suffers from losing Lisamarie.
Our mother is now raising her four beautiful children and is struggling hard in life because
of the loss of her own child. My sister was not “just and addict”. She has a story.
I know you have children and know the love a mother has for their child. Would you assist
us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol?
We have created two memorial Walls. One with photos and one with names.
I am including Lisamarie’s frame, below. These digital walls and albums update
automatically. We would also like the photos displayed in hard copy format. The wall of
names can be projected on a wall so parents can touch their loved one's name. We would
like our loved ones to be treated like victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (an
American cartel) and many, many others. Now, they are victims of Chinese and the
Mexican Cartels. We are using the word “drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users -
like racism.
Florida families would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this from
happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Maranda Talbert, sister of Lisamarie Kane
Prince George, VA

Michal Osteen’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son, Ariel
Osteen to fentanyl poisoning, he will be forever 30 years old and our family is forever
changed.
Ari was a very happy kid who helped everyone he knew. He graduated from the
University of Florida, became an EMT so he could save lives. He had the biggest heart,
the most beautiful smile and he gave the best hugs! He fed the homeless and sat with
those that needed a listening ear. He had huge dreams.
I know you have three beautiful children; Ari has two other siblings that are forever
shattered by the loss of their brother, and nephews and nieces that miss him every day.
This letter is to kindly ask you to assist us in finding a permanent location for a Drug
Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol.
We have created two memorial walls, one with photos and one with names. I am also
including the brochure of virtual memorial walls, albums, and our awareness campaign.
These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like the photos
displayed in hard copy format. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so families
can touch their loved one's name.
We would like our loved ones to be treated like victims. They were all victims of Purdue
Pharma (an American cartel) and many others. Now, they are victims of Chinese and the
Mexican Cartels.
We are using the word “drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users - like racism.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from
happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Michal Osteen
Longwood, FL

Pamela Flack’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I lost my beautiful son, Tommy, who is forever 20. He was poisoned by fentanyl, and we
remain devastated. We loved him beyond imagination. He was kind, funny and loved life!
He was our future and heart & soul. I can’t express how losing him has changed the life of
his father, myself, and his sisters. It’s simply devasting.
Would you assist us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial wall
within our Capitol? We have created two memorial walls. One with photos and one with
names. I am including Tommy’s frame, below. I am also including the brochure of virtual
memorial walls, albums, and our awareness campaign.
These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like the photos
displayed in hard copy format. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so parents
like me, can touch their loved one’s name. We would like our loved ones to be treated like
victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (an American Cartel) and many others.
Now, they are victims of Chinese and the Mexican Cartels. We are using the word
“drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users – like racism.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from happening to other families, ever again.
Sincerely,
Pamela Flack
Titusville, Florida

Pamela McMinn’s Daughter

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful daughter
Danielle Riley McMinn, forever 23. She was poisoned by fentanyl and our entire family is
forever changed. She had such a love for children and animals of any kind, and she would
have made a difference in their lives. The world is a darker place without her.
Danielle’s brother, Robert Neth and sister, Kelsey Platt; their lives are shattered. Her
nieces and nephews will now grow up without their Auntie Danielle. Danielle was robbed
of ever having her own children which she would have just adored, and I was robbed of
witnessing that beautiful moment that will never be. This letter is to kindly ask you to help
us find a location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol.
Our loved ones were victims, first of Purdue Pharma and the doctors who prescribed my
daughter medication. Secondly, the China/ Mexican drug cartels.
A group of moms would like to meet with you to see how we could prevent this from ever
happening again in the future. Attached is Danielle’s Memorial frame.
Thank you,
Pamela McMinn
North Port, FL

Paula Gretchin Murray’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
It is time we acknowledged that no family is immune from the deadly and criminal actions
of those who chose to peddle poison for profit. I am writing to you about this subject now
because I am a grieving mother. I lost my only child, a twenty-nine-year-old son who
unfortunately made the poor decision to experiment with an illicit drug, which contained a
lethal dose of fentanyl. His mistake should not have cost him his life. He was not a regular
illicit drug user, nor was he aware he was given a lethal dose of fentanyl. He and 2 others
were poisoned, unbeknownst to them. My son was the only one who didn’t survive.
Since my son’s passing, it has been an unimaginable journey. Losing a child is something
that unless you walk a day in the shoes of a bereaved parent, you will never know the
level of pain and permanence we endure every second we are breathing. It is a loss that
on some days, you can feel deep in your bones. A heartache that never stops but only
gets more final over time. It is not something that I would wish on anyone. My faith is the
glue that is holding the pieces of my broken heart together. I know God will carry me
though this and my son will be waiting for me on the other side. Some days this is the only
thing I have to hold onto. Accepting that I will never see my son get married, have children,
or grow old has been the hardest thing that I am still trying to process.
As a recently bereaved parent, I can’t stress the importance of keeping my son’s memory
alive, and to be assured that his life mattered. As a parent yourself, I can imagine this
would be very important to you and your family also. It would be healing to have a
memorial where our children can be visited, honored, and remembered by friends and
family. Having this memorial is also equally important to show that this is being
acknowledged by our government. Our beautiful children are not just statistics. Being able
to have their beautiful faces memorialized in our State Capitol would be an amazing
testament to our government’s commitment to our children and their families that are left
behind.
On behalf of myself and all of the other mothers who have lost their children, I implore you
to use your power to create a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall. Doing so will honor and
memorialize all the victims in our State and send a strong message to the people of
Florida that safety is your priority and our children who have fallen to this epidemic will not
be forgotten. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Gage’s Mom
Paula Gretchin Murray
Orlando, FL

Sandy Rhoda’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall. I lost my son, Kevin, on 4/3/22
at the age of 26 from fentanyl poisoning. The day Kevin died part of me died. I miss him
daily and will never be the same. Kevin was kind, funny and had a big heart.
We are losing 110,00 thousand people a year due to the drug epidemic. Would you assist
us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol?
We have created two memorial walls. One with photos and one with names. We would like
the photos displayed. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so parents can touch
their loved one’s name.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sandy Rhoda, mother of Kevin Rhoda F – 26
Valrico, FL

Terri Bolander’s Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son, Anthony aka
Tony, who is forever 32. He lived in Pinellas County, Palm Harbor, Florida, the town next to
Dunedin, where our Honorable Governor is from. He was poisoned by fentanyl, and we remain
devastated. We loved him dearly.
Tony was the kindest and most empathetic person I have ever known. We called him our “Good
Samaritan”. He was always helping others. He always thought of others, before himself, friend to
everyone, never met a stranger, and constantly tried to help others. At his funeral, the Priest
recalled a time he was picking fruit for elders with some of his classmates from Catholic school.
One of the classmates was cold, Tony took off his sweater and gave it to him. I witnessed this
many times, over and over, with jackets, shoes, belts, t-shirts, etc. He was a Giver. The world lost
this beautiful helper on 12/18/2019. He never wanted to leave us. He loved life. His beautiful
smile could light up any room. He deserved to live a long life. His family still grieves for him and
will for the rest of their lives.
I know you have 3 beautiful children. You know the love; a mother has for their child. I only have
memories of my Tony. No parent deserves to lose their child. We need your help. Would you
assist us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol?
We have created two memorial Walls. One with photos and one with names. I am including
Tony’s frame, below. I am also including the brochure of virtual memorial walls, albums, and our
awareness campaign.
These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like the photos displayed in
hard
copy format. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so families can touch their loved
one's name.
We would like our loved ones to be treated like victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma
(an
American cartel) and many others. Now, they are victims of Chinese and the Mexican Cartels.
We are using the word “drugism” for the prejudice toward drug users - like racism.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this from
happening ever again. To save other mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts,
uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and relatives from the never-ending pain and
heartache of not having your loved one here on earth. To know their lives were ended and could
have been prevented.
Sincerely,
Terri Bolander
Palm Harbor, FL

Therese Serignese’s Daughter

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall. I lost my only daughter, Lisa
Marie Serignese, who is forever 27 years of age. She was poisoned by fentanyl and my
family and her friends remain devastated. We loved her deeply and our loss is profound.
Lisa was the kindest and most empathetic person I have ever known. She wanted to help
others, go to college, write poetry, dance, and travel. Lisa was gentle, sweet, loyal, and
loved life. She wanted to live and enjoy her life!
Would you please assist us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial
Wall within our Capitol or another State Building in Florida? We have created two digital
Memorial Walls. One with photos and one with names. I am including Lisa Marie’s frame,
below. These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like the photos
displayed permanently in hard copy format in our State Capitol.
We would like our loved ones to be treated like victims. They were all victims of the
Pharmaceutical Industry and many others. Now, they are victims of China, India, and the
Mexican Cartels. Many were victims of a deadly condition called substance use disorder.
We are using the word “drugism” for the judgment toward people with SUD.
A group of our Florida parents would love to meet with you and work together to prevent
this from happening to other families.
Sincerely,
Therese Serignese,
Mother of Lisa Marie Serignese
Boca Raton, Palm Beach, FL

Tressie Dupont Paytas’ Son

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Tressie DuPont Paytas and I am an
ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son, Tim Paytas,
February 26, 2022. He got a fake pill from someone he trusted. It turned out to be 33ng
Fentanyl. He was not a junkie; he worked 40 plus hours a week. He was a sweetheart who
cared more about others than himself. My son was murdered by a fake pill he thought was
something else. Forever 32. He was poisoned by fentanyl, and we are all devastated like
hundreds of thousands of other families.
I know you have three beautiful children; I have four, Tim has three other siblings that are
forever shattered by the loss of their brother.
This letter is to kindly ask you to assist us in finding a permanent location for a Drug
Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol. We have created two memorial walls, one with
photos and one with names. I am including Tim's frame, below. I am also including the
brochure of virtual memorial walls, albums, and our awareness campaign.
These digital walls and albums update automatically. We would also like the photos
displayed in hard copy format. The wall of names can be projected on a wall so parents
can touch their loved one's name. We would like our loved ones to be honored and treated
like victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (an American cartel) and many, many
others. Now, they are victims of the Chinese and the Mexican Cartels. China is sending
this fake pill laced with fentanyl to Mexican Cartels and they are bringing this dangerous
drug to every town in the USA by crossing the border.
A group of our Florida moms would love to meet with you and work together to prevent this
from happening ever again.
Sincerely,
Tressie Dupont Paytas
Tim Paytas's, mom
forever 32
Flagler Beach, FL

Wesley T. Bal’s Daughter

Dear First Lady Casey DeSantis,
I have two daughters, Rachel Amber my 1st born and Kristin Nicole, my 2nd born. Both
were born in Richmond, Va. We moved to Orlando, Florida in 1988. Both girls went to
elementary and middle school in Dr Phillips. Rachel went to Dr Phillips High School.
Kristin, not wanting to keep being Rachel’s little sister, got herself into the IB Magnet at
Cypress Creek High. Kristin went onto the University of Miami for two years and then
back here to Orlando to graduate from the University of Central Florida Rosen College.
She worked for Universal Studios for 16 years and now works for Finserva, a Financial
Tech company in London.
Rachel did very well through high school until her Senior year. Her group started drinking
vodka from water bottles, skipping classes, etc. She almost didn’t graduate. But we got
her through summer school, and she did it. A very happy time in her life.
Rachel was our adventuresome, hippie butterfly. She went to UCF, met the wrong people
and started trying stuff she shouldn’t have. Around this time was her first hit up with heroin
then began with everything else. She coasted for a while. She had two abusive
boyfriends. We “Baker Acted” her, and she hated us for it. She began to recognize her
problem and admitted herself to rehab several times and helped many others into rehab.
Over the next 13 years she slowly digressed downward and OD’d several times. She
went from living with me for a while, to a nice apartment, to an ok condo, to a room in a
house on South Orange Blossom Trail, to an apartment on Americana Blvd and finally into
the woods behind the Publix at Americana Blvd and John Young Parkway. She lived with
her boyfriend, a user, and her rescued dog that she loved. I even got her a tent to help her
out.
I of course enabled her along the way and helped as I could. I gave her money and
became a great customer of Western Union and Amscot. She spent her last nine months
in those woods, progressively getting worse. I tried to get her out, but she wouldn’t leave
her boyfriend or the dog. I offered to take the dog to Pet Alliance. She liked her
Americana community there because it had everything she needed; her user friends, a
Burger King to charge her phone, places to panhandle, a 7-11 to buy cheap beer, and of
course her network of dealers.
On February 7, 2019, she had made plans and agreed to meet a woman that afternoon, to
take her away and help her get a fresh start. That morning around 9:30 am, she waited on
the corner for her dealer to give her that last big hit. Something addicts do before they go
for help, knowing that will be their last high. It was her last hit. It was loaded with fentanyl.
12 milligrams. As we know it only takes about 2 milligrams. Rachel didn’t have a chance.
It was murder.

The woman came to get her that afternoon and dropped to her knees crying when she
found out. We had a Celebration of Life for Rachel that April at Turkey Lake Park. About
125 people came, including that woman, to tell me her story.
In the early days, I was embarrassed and upset. Then as the years went on, I tried to help
Rachel. Always there to talk. I would take her to lunch. She confided in me about things
a father does not need to hear about. There’s a stigma that we develop, we don’t talk
about our “addicts”. The stigma that others have; they are just addict drug users, garbage,
thieves, why bother with them. They could change if they wanted to. This includes our
family, friends, nurses, doctors, and first responders. I’ve seen it and it sure needs to
change. Rachel didn’t want to be an addict. Yes, she chose to use in those beginning
times, but once that devil grabbed her, it’s very hard to cut him off. Talk about your loved
ones. Make people uncomfortable. And help reverse the stigma.
I write this letter to talk about Rachel and her journey. And to build awareness of
Substance Use Disorder, the opioid problem in our community and the dangers of gangs,
street drugs and fentanyl.
It would be healing to have a memorial where our children can be visited, honored, and
remembered by friends and family. Having this memorial is also equally important to show
that this is being acknowledged. Our beautiful children are not just statistics. Being able to
have their beautiful faces memorialized in our State Capitol would be an amazing
testament to our government’s commitment to our children and their families that are left
behind.
On that Thursday, February 7, 2019, my Rachel was planning on making a new life.
Instead, her ashes are buried at the Dr Phillips Cemetery.
Rachel Amber Bal is now Forever 33. Rachel did not plan on dying that day.
Wesley T Bal
Orlando, FL

Intentional Blank Page

Intentional Blank Page

Florida Photo Scrolling Wall:
fl.drugepidemicmemorial.org
National Teen Scrolling Wall Of Photos:
https://wall.drugepidemicmemorial.org/photos/teens
National Scrolling Wall Of Photos:
https://wall.drugepidemicmemorial.org/photos
National Scrolling Wall Of Names:
https://wall.drugepidemicmemorial.org/

Awareness
Campaigns
School And Community Prevention Tools
I AM A FORCE FOR CHANGE - SCHOOL/COMMUNITY
PREVENTION TOOLS
Manual For Advocates
I AM A FORCE CHNAGE- PREVENTION MANUAL FOR ADVOCATES
Please feel free to share for awareness, prevention and memorials.
To be included on the Memorial Walls go to:
wall.drugepidemicmemorial.org

Direct State links for slideshows
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
al.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ak.drugepidemicmemorial.org
az.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ar.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ca.drugepidemicmemorial.org
co.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ct.drugepidemicmemorial.org
de.drugepidemicmemorial.org
fl.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ga.drugepidemicmemorial.org
hi.drugepidemicmemorial.org
id.drugepidemicmemorial.org
il.drugepidemicmemorial.org
in.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ia.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ks.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ky.drugepidemicmemorial.org
la.drugepidemicmemorial.org
me.drugepidemicmemorial.org
md.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ma.drugepidemicmemorial.org
mi.drugepidemicmemorial.org
mn.drugepidemicmemorial.org
ms.drugepidemicmemorial.org
mo.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Montana mt.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Nebraska ne.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Nevada nv.drugepidemicmemorial.org
New Hampshire nh.drugepidemicmemorial.org
New Jersey nj.drugepidemicmemorial.org
New Mexico nm.drugepidemicmemorial.org
New York ny.drugepidemicmemorial.org
North Carolina nc.drugepidemicmemorial.org
North Dakota nd.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Ohio
oh.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Oklahoma ok.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Oregon or.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Pennsylvania pa.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Puerto Rico pr.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Rhode Island ri.drugepidemicmemorial.org
South Carolina sc.drugepidemicmemorial.org
South Dakota sd.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Tennessee tn.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Texas
tx.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Utah
ut.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Vermont vt.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Virginia va.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Washington wa.drugepidemicmemorial.org
West Virginia wv.drugepidemicmemorial.org
Wisconsin wi.drugepidemicmemorial.org