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

Dear First Lady Sharon Landry,
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall. I lost my only child, my son,
to illicit fentanyl poisoning on 11/23/2020. He was only 29 years old. His father and
I remain in grief as we try to live without him.
Kyle was a person of great kindness, both for his fellow man and for animals. He was
non-judgmental and despite his substance use disorder, Kyle remained a functional, funloving
person. My son did not want to have this disorder; he wanted a normal life. He
made a poor choice ten years prior to his death while in college. Many of our youth do not
realize what one simple mistake can do to their lives, as was the case with my son. He
would be alive today if affordable healthcare options were available and easily
accessible. One 30-day treatment plan that he did partake in cost $12,000 but this
treatment did not work. Some need affordable treatment for a year or longer.
When officials decided to crack down on Purdue Pharma and the prescription of opiate
painkillers, our youth became victims. They turned to the streets for heroin and other
drugs of choice and became victims of China and Mexico. We spent ten years trying to
help our son with his addiction, but to no avail - the serpent drug fentanyl won!
Since Kyle’s death, we have started a non-profit group called Keeping Your Love
Eternally (K.Y.L.E.) to raise drug awareness in our community. We refinish old furniture,
sell it, and donate the funds to non-profit organizations where it is needed. It is my dream
one day to have a place for victims of SUD where they can be treated and not
stigmatized, like St. Jude Hospital. Many victims of SUD also suffer from cancer.
I want to make Kyle’s life and the lives of others that have fallen victim to this
epidemic honored and memorialized. Would you assist us in finding a permanent location
for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our state or within our capital?
I truly thank you for taking the time to read my testimony and I pray that we, together, can
overcome this heart-wrenching epidemic.
Sincerely,
Regina Vicknair, Kyle’s mom, forever 29
St. John the Baptist Parish, LaPlace, Louisiana
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/67297865/links-to-virtual-memorial-wallsalbums-and-awareness-campaign
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