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

Dear Governor Gretchen Whitmer,
I am an advocate for the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall. I lost my amazing, loving, intelligent,
second born son, Gary on October 24, 2017, at the age of 30. Gary suffered from SUD for a
couple of years after hurting him at the gym with bar bells falling on his back and a doctor way
over prescribing Norco. Gary also had struggles mentally by trauma from childhood and was on
and off meds. In addition to the drug problem there is a serious problem with psychiatric help.
Gary was very intelligent self-taught how to read, write and speak German. He read and
memorized the entire dictionary. His goal was to be either an English teacher or a firefighter.
His family’s life is forever changed, we struggle daily to go on. As his mom I struggle daily with
a forever shattered heart and suffered a heart attack after he died.
Gary worked 2 jobs as a cook, working 6 days a week. His only day off being Tuesday. Gary
went into a court ordered rehab in Waterford where he and other residents and families
endured horrific treatment. Gary had written me a 10-page letter documenting accounts of
abuse. He asked me to send it on to attorneys, which I made copies and did. Each one said my
son had a case, when they asked the name of facility- sadly they all had same response: “That
is a state-run facility I am not touching that with a ten-foot pole.” Seriously there is a problem
with this!
After rehab Gary was clean 18 months doing so well and I thought I had my son back, my best
bud. Then on a Tuesday, his day off, as I was leaving for work, he said “Mom, I love you, have
a great day.” I said the same, when I came home that night my son was dead upstairs; cold,
stiff and bruising behind his ears, in a fetal position. The syringe was on the other side of room.
His autopsy revealed suspect small amount of heroin, fentanyl, norfentanyl, and carfentanyl.
He also suffered a brain bleed with blunt force trauma to the back of head. There was no
investigation. Something needs to be done; dealers are killing our kids. Since losing him I
started Dragon Slayers awareness, and animal therapy. Please help us save lives.
I understand that as our Governor, you have made tangible changes to areas of infrastructure,
Homeowner assistance, and small business growth. We are seeking support in areas of
awareness, and a more conscious effort and response to the overwhelming statistics of death
by fentanyl in the state of Michigan. Per Michigan Monthly Update May 2023, there were 2,686
deaths in 2017 the year my son died. The number continues to rise. As of May 2023, there
were over 1900 deaths within the first 5 months of this year. We must bring attention to this and
ask for action to be taken to provide the awareness we so badly seek to get to the public.
As a mother, I am asking if the Capitol would be willing to create and share a version of the
Memorial wall (like the one in D.C.). We have created 2 Memorial Walls, one with photos and
one with names. I am including Gary’s frame below. The wall of names can be projected on a
wall so families can touch their loved one’s name. We would like our loved ones to be treated
like victims. They were all victims of Purdue Pharma (the American Cartel) and many others.
Sincerely,
Jessie Strong, Gary’s mom forever 30
Fort Gratiot Township, MI 533