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

Dear Governor Janet Mills:
I am an ambassador for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful daughter,
Sarah to a fatal overdose on December 16, 2016. Our family is forever changed. Healing
from the loss of a child is never complete. The pain and anguish families feel and the
ongoing revelation that many of these deaths were preventable forever haunts me.
Sarah’s death spurred in me a
burning desire to support and help other families experiencing a drug overdose death. I
currently co-facilitate Maine Team Sharing, a grief support group for parents who have lost
a child through substance use. Channeling my grief through writing, I published our
family’s story in 2018 titled “Secrets: A Story of Addiction, Grief Healing” hoping to lessen
stigma and to give my daughter her voice.
Stigma not only affects those struggling with addiction, but also their families. Losing a
loved one like this affects the way we even grieve. Many people view an overdose death
differently, stigmatizing the person lost and their grieving families all over again. Society
must stop diminishing these losses and recognize these beautiful souls through a
memorial wall. Doing so will be incredibly impactful. Putting faces to what currently are
numbers brings to life the struggle all society currently faces. Yes, everyone is impacted
by this drug epidemic in some way or form.
Please assist us in finding a permanent location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within
our Capitol. Help us make a difference in how others view addiction and lessen the stigma
attached to this awful disease. We have created two memorial walls. One with photos and
one with names. I am including Sarah’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.
Sincerely,
Ann Bennett-Cookson
Brunswick, ME
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