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

Dear Governor Janet Mills,
I am writing to you with a heavy heart, seeking your help in finding a permanent location
for a drug epidemic wall memorial wall within our Capitol. As a mother who has lost her
son, Timothy “Tim” Nowlin due to fentanyl poisoning, I understand the pain & trauma that
comes with losing a loved one due to this epidemic. I know you are a mother; a
grandmother & I am sure you love your children as much as I love Tim. I also know that
you would do anything to protect them. I believe you to be an advocate for women. I have
watched you work as Governor & I am proud to be a Maine resident with such a wonderful
person as you leading Mainers in a good direction.
My son Tim had a very strong work ethic; he was outgoing & loved nature. He had a fond
love for our family’s old camp at North Pond in Smithfield. Tim tried to stay clean, however
this disease took his life fast. He tried rehab for a month but unfortunately it didn't work
out. He came home & started using not long after he got home. On July 22, 2022, he was
begging for money & wanted to use my car. I relented & did both, he came home high as
usual & started acting out doing his usual shenanigans.\ I told him several times to quiet
down & I must have dozed off. I went to the bathroom & I came back to check on him. I
thought he was asleep, so I did not want to wake him. He was in a very weird position the
next morning when I checked on him. I tried waking him three times & he would not wake
up. I called the paramedics. It wasn't long before they told me the worst fear of my life -
that my son was gone. Tim is by far not the only person who has fallen victim to this drug.
We have created two memorial walls, one with photos & one with names to honor those
who have lost their lives due to the epidemic. We believe our loved ones should be
treated like victims of mass destruction. They are all victims of Purdue pharma, Chinese
and Mexican cartels. Maine moms would love to meet with you & work together to prevent
this from happening again. Will you help us find a permanent location for the walls in a
significant building within our Capitol? Our goal is to raise awareness about the
devastating effects of drug addiction & the dangers of fentanyl. We want to honor those
who have lost their lives to this epidemic. We believe your support & involvement are
crucial in achieving this goal. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and we look
forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Maureen Geaghan Berard, ME State Co-Lead
Waterville, ME mnowlin6@gmail.com
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