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

Dear Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders,
May 29th, 2015, my life was turned upside down. I came home from work and my husband Mike told
me my son was gone. Clay was 26 years old and was a beautiful soul. He had back problems for years
and was prescribed opioids for pain and got addicted. He met some people that introduced him to
stronger Illegal drugs he could take for the pain. We tried to get him help but he wouldn’t admit he
had a problem. “It was just for the pain”, he said and had all the excuses. It was heartbreaking.
In 2015 my daughter was pregnant with her first child and Clay was excited to be an uncle for the first
time. She told him he couldn’t be around the baby if he was still using drugs. He promised to get off
the drugs because he wanted to be a part of her life. I believe he tried, and we think he relapsed. He
told his roommate he had a headache and left to get something for it, when he returned, he went to
the bathroom and never came out. He went to the dealer he used before and was sold a lethal dose of
fentanyl, dealer hoping to bring Clay back for more. Mike did not work for the coroner’s office at the
time, so I did not get to see my son for 9 days. I spent the next 9 days praying that it was a mistake.
Unfortunately, it was not a mistake.
Now I visit a headstone with my son’s name on it. I am supposed to except it while the person that
sold and probably still selling lethal drugs. My husband now works for the Washington County
Coroner’s office as Chief Deputy Coroner and I wonder every time he works an overdose if it was the
same dealer that killed my son. I get a knot in my stomach when Mike has a run of overdose calls. I
know that there is a dealer that has gotten a new batch of product that is killing people because it is
mixed with too much fentanyl. They prey on addicts and brag about the batch being better. I wish
people knew not to trust what they’re buying or using, but how? I have also had to deal with people’s
perception of people that overdose. They feel they are addicts that did it to themselves and deserve
what happens. I wish I could change the culture around how the public perceives these deaths. If
someone dies because of alcohol it is called alcohol poisoning not alcohol overdose.
Prosecuting overdose deaths as homicides will not bring my son back but it might save someone else’s
child. Thank you, for legislation that gives law enforcement another tool in their arsenal which, if used
appropriately, can assist locally in focusing on the drug dealers who take advantage of those who have
become addicted to opioids. Mike said some of the drug task force agents he works with say they are
working with prosecutors to get these dealers but it’s so hard. Hopefully the new legislation helps. I
participate in many awareness events just to make everyone aware this can happen to anyone from
any background. I do these things I think because I feel I didn’t do enough for Clay to save him; I want
to save someone else’s child. He lives on in my heart. In his memory I will do anything to save lives.
A memorial in our Capitol would do so much for awareness and open conversations with parents and
children. Possibly save someone from losing a loved one or losing their own life.
Thank you so much for your time,
Jenny Neville
Springdale, Arkansas
57