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

Dear Governor Sanders,
I am a grieving mother that lost my beautiful, loving son James Cage, to fentanyl
poisoning on April 3, 2023. For many years, my son was a happy, loving, vibrant young
man. He was an honor roll student that excelled in track and field and cross country.
Then one night he went out with some friends and smoked marijuana for the first time.
Not long after that he got his first concussion and decided he needed something
stronger than Tylenol for the pain and turned to oxy.
He also struggled with depression and anxiety and went to the hospital for a thirty-day
inpatient program. He came home, better, and clean for a little while but the meds that
his doctors put him on led him right back to his addiction. I’ve done everything in my
power to try to make my son get the help he so desperately needed. The last six
months of his life were especially hard on him. His fiancé broke up with him and
wouldn’t let him see his two beautiful girls unless I was with them. I watched as my son
went deeper into that dark place. He was always a very loving father to his girls, even
when he was using the last month of his life. He was getting clean so he could have a
better relationship with them. His last full day on earth, March 26, 2023, he spent all
morning with me, his girls and his ex. He was happier than I had seen him in a very long
time. When he left, he was supposed to come to my house about an hour later but
never showed up. I got a call from the person he was with at 1:15 AM on March 27 that
EMTs were there working on him and about to transport him to the hospital, my
beautiful son died and was brought back six times within the first 6 1/2 hours after I got
the call. After seven days and ICU on life-support they pronounced my son brain dead. I
had to do what a mother should never have to do; make the decision to take my son
off of life support. My son, my baby, my life was gone! He meant so much to so many
people. For me my life revolved around my son. He was my sunshine in the morning,
my moon, and stars at night. Now my life revolves around my heartbreak and telling his
truth to anyone that will listen.
It is time we started holding someone responsible for an overdose death, or a death
from fentanyl!
Please consider allowing the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall to be placed in our capitol
building.
Sincerely,
Jennifer English- Cage’s mom
Romance, Arkansas
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