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

Dear Governor Sanders,
My name is Karen Dougan. I lost my only son, Mark Arnold, on May 31, 2021, to
fentanyl poisoning. Let me tell you a little about Mark.
He was a kind, loving & caring person. Due to truck & 4-wheeler accidents, he was
introduced to hydrocodone & other opioid medications by his physician. A trusted
medical provider caused his addiction, not some random person on the street. He
fought through many excruciating years to stay clean from substances.
I prayed for many years for God to heal Mark from his addiction. God did heal him but
not in any way I wanted to hear. On May 31, 2021, my life changed forever. Mark was
healed from his addiction by passing from this world due to fentanyl poisoning. Since
his death, there have been many more deaths due to fentanyl poisoning in Hempstead
County.
I asked God what to do on May 31, 2021, and I gave it all to Him that horrible day. It
has been over two years now and the death toll is steadily rising. We need new laws to
hold these drug dealers accountable for fentanyl poisoning. Yes, Mark was addicted to
opioids, but he had no idea he was ingesting fentanyl. I am asking you to please help us
to pass a law to help our family to get fentanyl out of Arkansas. I look at the deaths
caused by fentanyl in each of the 50 states and see them continually rise. It absolutely
breaks my heart. Fentanyl poisoning has killed so many innocent children & adults.
We would also like a memorial placed in the Capitol in Little Rock to represent the
victims of the opioid epidemic which Purdue Pharma put into motion over thirty years
ago. Please help us with this.
Thank you.
Karen Dougan (Mark Arnold -forever 30 )
from a little place called Hope, Arkansas (Hempstead County)
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