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

Dear First Lady Gwen Walz,
I am an ambassador for the U.S. Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall in South Dakota and work in
collaboration with the ambassadors in Minnesota. My daughter, Shawna Vojak, died on June
20, 2020 from fentanyl poisoning in St. Cloud when she was 37 years old.
June 19, 2020, was a Friday and Shawna and I had a lovely telephone conversation about
plans for the weekend that included her spending time with her son, Isaiah. The next day was
his birthday and she was going to spend the afternoon with him. She told me he was planning
to spend the evening with his friends, so it was decided that I would visit them the next
weekend to celebrate his 20th birthday. Shawna told me about her plans for Sunday which
included a visit with Amanda, my oldest daughter, and her family. Amanda was in need of help
with some personal things because one of her daughters was hospitalized at Sanford in Fargo.
But the weekend didn’t go as we had planned and on June 21st at 2 AM, I received the phone
call no parent ever imagines they will get. It was my youngest daughter, Mallory, calling to tell
me Shawna had been found deceased on her bedroom floor by her son when he returned
home from spending time with his friends. Words cannot describe the anguish and shock I felt
when that call came. We immediately left home and drove to St. Cloud and were told by the
investigator on her case that counterfeit fentanyl pills were involved. Her toxicology and
autopsy confirmed that fentanyl toxicity was the cause of her death.
Shawna was a daughter, sister, mom and aunt. She raised her son on her own and attended,
and graduated from two vocational school programs. She loved spending time with her family
for outings and gatherings. She also enjoyed traveling the country with her girlhood friends.
While she had a history of substance use disorder in 2016-2017, she went to treatment and got
her life back in order and maintained sobriety. She is deeply missed, and our family will never
be whole again without her.
There are many, many families in Minnesota and across our country with similar stories of
heartbreak and loss. We all continue to grieve and are learning it is a lifelong process. Many of
us are trying to turn our pain into something purposeful by educating and bringing awareness
about fentanyl and the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Would you be willing to assist us in our efforts to provide education and end the stigma of death
by fentanyl overdose or poisoning by creating a permanent location for the Drug Epidemic
Memorial Wall? We currently have two virtual walls: one for names and one for photos.
However, a physical wall is something we feel would honor our lost loved ones who are victims
of Purdue Pharma as well as Chinese and the Mexican Cartels. Attached is Shawna’s picture
and a link to the wall. Our group would love an opportunity to meet with you and discuss this
further. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Julie Baumgard:
Colman, SD 57017
557