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

Dear First Partner Siebel Newsom,
Being a mother, I am sure that you understand the unconditional love that comes
with motherhood. It does not even matter what the age of our children are, we will
forever love them regardless of the mistakes that they make in their lives. Well, my
daughter, Jamila Ward, made a mistake that can never be corrected. Jamila trusted
her “boyfriend” who gave her a fatal pill that contained fentanyl.
Jamila is a mother of three; Jordan, Jaden and Daily, who are now without the love
of their lives due to a fatal mistake. Jamila was and will always be my cheerleader,
my best friend, and my only daughter.
Jamila was a lover of life, and adventure. She loved the water, and she would often,
when the weather permitted, raft down the Sacramento River. She would say that
being on the water made her feel free. She also loved to hike and take her children
on adventures in nature along the California coastline. Jamila was my travel buddy,
as well as my “person” to go to when I had a funny moment or a secret. Jamila
never used a drug in her life. She had her children at a very young age and spent
her time raising them and working to make a life for herself and her children. I spoke
to my daughter for the last time on January 1st, 2021, making plans for her to come
and spend the rest of the weekend with me. We planned on having a “slumber
party,” watching movies and making a New Years dinner to celebrate the New Year.
Early Saturday morning Jamila’s friend who was with her at the time of her death,
called me screaming that my daughter was dead.
I was awakened from my sleep to someone screaming over the phone that my only
daughter was dead, how could I ever understand what was being said to me, I
couldn’t.
I asked what happened to my daughter, and I was told that she and a friend were
drinking alcohol and had taken a Percocet. I did not understand what was being
said to me because I knew my daughter and I wondered why she had taken a
Percocet. I advised her friend to call 911 immediately. Still sitting in shock from
what I had just been told, I thought to myself “maybe she is not dead, maybe they
can save her by administering CPR on her. But I was mistaken, my daughter was
gone.
On Valentines Day of 2021, I received a phone call from the coroner’s office with the
news that fentanyl was found in my daughter’s toxicology report. Jamila turned 39
November 24th, 2020, and died January 2nd, 2021, after taking one pill that she
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