In February of 2017, I received a phone call no parent wants to receive. I was told my 28 year old daughter Millie had been found unresponsive in Alexandria City Park of an apparent overdose. I was in shock, my daughter didn't do opioids, she didn't have an addiction. How could this be? I rushed two hours from Winnsboro to Alexandria, Louisiana to be by her side but to no avail, She had suffered an ischemic brain stroke from the Drug and was pronounced brain dead. She had made an unselfish decision years prior to becoming an organ donor. Her Father and I signed her death certificate on Valentines Day as she saved 5 lives with the gift of organ donation. As the days of being in shock progressed, I found out that my daughter received Fentanyl instead of an opioid that she thought she took. I realized at that moment of discovery, she had been deceived to death. The man who sold her the drug was arrested and convicted on neglect homicide, along with weapon and drug charges. He is now serving a 20 year sentence. After losing Millie, I found out an epidemic was raging in our country and I had a deep need to get involved. I didn't want any other Parent or loved one to go through what I had just experienced. I searched our state from North to South, and came up empty handed. There were no organizations advocating for the Overdose Epidemic in Louisiana. In August of 2018 I stepped out in faith and started Millie Mattered Overdose and Addiction Advocacy holding the States first Overdose Awareness Day in the very Park that my daughter was found. It became a yearly event and I established a Facebook page of the same name. Then the messages began, questioning me on how I got justice on Millie's Death. The messages were so overwhelming that I vowed to fight to stiffen the laws on Fentanyl in our state. That was 5 years ago and many events under my belt. In 2021 I joined forces with the national Campaign called Drug Epidemic Awareness Walk Across America where Millie Mattered hosted 4 Drug Epidemic Walks in 4 major Cities around the state. After the 2021 walks I devised a system where I appointed a chairman in each city who worked under me. Each chairman is either in recovery or has lost a loved one to overdose. At the end of 2021 when the CDC announced that Louisiana had become number one in Overdose Deaths in the nation by a 53% increase per capita, I knew I had to step up my game. When 2022 rolled around, With the help of my chairmen I held 10 Walks in 10 Cities in five weeks across Louisiana, with the finale walk event on the steps of the State Capital. I displayed over 4000 faces on banners lost the drug epidemic on the State Capital Steps. It gained national attention as USA Today covered the Lafayette Walk. It was a front page feature all across the southern states affiliates . Summer of 2021, I took my story to my Senator Glen Womack from District 32 and told him about the hundreds of families that had reached out to me. He agreed to sponsor my bill on fentanyl ,for those deceived to death. I testified in both the Senate and House Committees as the bill progressed. August 4th I Joined Senator Womack and Governor John Bel Edwards as he Signed Millie's Law SB 315 making Fentanyl and Heroin a crime of violence with a 5 year minimum sentence, up to 40 years, with up to a $50,000 fine for those who are convicted of selling it, causing death or bodily harm. Between my two events I have built a following of around 7000, and When someone hears Millie Mattered they know it consists of warriors willing to go to battle to curb this epidemic. I just finished 10 Millie Mattered Moonlight Memorials events this summer across our great state. I dedicated them to remembering our loved ones specifically here in Louisiana gone too soon. Planning has begun for the 3rd annual Millie Mattered Louisiana Drug Epidemic Walk's, for the Spring of 2023. I have been writing a weekly column for the Catahoula New Booster which covers Parish's Catahoula, Franklin, Tensas, Lasalle. The column is called Millie Mattered Hope & Recovery. I feature stories of recovery and grief due to loss to overdose. It is keeping the area up to date on Advocacy and legislation pertaining to the drug epidemic. I also am now on the National committee for DEAWWA ( Drug Epidemic Walks) and just recently accepted a board of director position with a new organization headed by Barton Conradi, a former Attorney for the state Legislature, called P.A.D.D. ( Parents against drug dealers). I Rallied in Washington D. C. with my Chairmen of Millie Mattered at the Nation's Capital for the Lost Voices of Fentanyl. We want our voices heard around our state.
