USA First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff

Dear First Lady Kathy Evers,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall and the state lead for
Wisconsin. I lost my lovely firstborn son, Joshua, on August 2, 2022, at the age of 44. His
20-year-old daughter found him deceased in his kitchen after she attempted to text
message him but did not receive any answer to her texts. Joshua died of
methamphetamine toxicity and fentanyl poisoning. His death was a complete shock to his
three children, four siblings, an entire neighborhood of friends, and me. We mourn his
presence in our lives daily.
Josh was an intelligent man. He made his mama proud. He was charismatic, kind, silly,
and helpful; he was a salesman, a cook, a baker, a fisherman, a father, a son, and a
brother. I miss his laugh, his knowledge, and his smile. He was Dad to Skyler, 25, Abbey,
21, and Alyster, 15. His death created a loss for more than our family, as an entire
neighborhood in Winona, MN lost their yard worker, snowblower, soup maker, bread
baker, and Neighborhood Watch. He was respected by his neighbors, and they suffered a
great loss and feel less safe without him residing close by. There are no descriptors for
the loss his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and children are
experiencing. The grief at times is unspeakable, unbearable, and unstoppable. Although
Josh died in Minnesota, I am a resident of Wisconsin, living on the border of the mighty
Mississippi in Dodge, WI. In 2021, Wisconsin lost 1,427 lives to this epidemic and I am
committed to ending these losses and honoring my son and the other children’s lives and
memory.
I know you are an advocate for the social and emotional learning and mental health of
children. Our children need to know the dangers presented to them daily by this epidemic.
My son was one of those that began his mental health journey with a misdiagnosis of
ADHD, and he was subsequently prescribed Ritalin. I had a 35-year career in older adult
services, and implementing dementia-friendly communities was among my
accomplishments. I also brought former Wisconsin Governor Marty Schreiber as a
speaker for Dementia Week at our senior center facility regarding his book on his wife,
Elaine. I must tell you that I feel strongly that the grief our nation is facing is a precursor to
an immense amount of dementia in our future. We need to address the grieving of all
these families. I’m hopeful as a mother and grandmother you will understand the urgency
I, and countless other mothers in Wisconsin, feel towards ending this epidemic, educating
our children, and addressing the mental health of substance users as well as those in
grief.
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