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

Dear Governor Kathy Hochul,
My name is Cathy Giblin, and I am one of the many ambassadors for the Drug Epidemic
Memorial Walls. I lost my beautiful son, Gerard “Gerry” Paul Giblin, on February 28th of
this year, just two days after my birthday. He was poisoned. He was only 28 years young.
He is missed so much by me, his father, his sisters, and so many family and friends.
Gerry would have made a profound difference in this world, of that, I am sure. He was
smart, kind, and truly empathetic, but more importantly, he was humble beyond words. He
would have made a great leader. He was my inspiration and taught me patience and
tolerance, although I still have not achieved his level of goodness.
Gerry tried so hard to stop using drugs. He did not want to be addicted. He was suffering
greatly. He also did not want to die…I know this, and it hurts so much. But for now, I will
have to believe that he is no longer being tormented. I don’t have a choice. I will never
stop bragging about my beautiful boy and how insanely proud I am of him. How much we
love him and how much he loved. And I will try to make a difference in others’ lives to
honor his name so he will not be forgotten. Wherever his voice leads me I will follow, and
I will speak, and I will listen. For him and all the other lost voices.
Gerry is not the only innocent who has fallen victim to this drug epidemic. There are
thousands of stories like ours. Families across the U.S., and perhaps even across our
borders have come together to create two memorial walls - one with photos and one with
names - to honor those who have lost their lives to drugs. I am including Gerry’s photo
frame, along with a brochure of the virtual memorial wall, albums, and our awareness
campaign. These digital walls and photos will update automatically. We urge you to help
us find a permanent location for our memorial. We would like to meet with you to discuss
our ideas.
We believe that our loved ones have been murdered. We also believe that our country
and our government have failed them. As well as the memorial walls, we want to raise
awareness about drug addiction and the dangers of fentanyl.
Sincerely,
Catherine Giblin, Ambassador
Westchester County, NY
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