Tennessee Letters for First First Lady Maria Lee

Dear First Lady Maria Lee,
My name is Betty Johnson, and I am writing to you as an ambassador for the Drug
Epidemic Memorial Walls.
We were blessed with a beautiful, loving, and smart son named Adam. He was our only
child so, as you can imagine, we had so many hopes and dreams for him. He made us
proud. He was in the top ten in his class all through grade school and high school. He was
in the United States Achievement Academy 2008 National Awards and graduated early.
Our goal when he was growing up was for him to visit all 50 of our beautiful states before
he graduated. We made it to all but three, Washington State, Hawaii, and Alaska. All the
friends and cousins were lining up for two of those trips.
Adam loved riding dirt bikes, fishing, hunting, and his dog, JC. He was a loyal friend who
had a soft heart and would help anyone and everyone, including the homeless in
Memphis, Tennessee.
We lost him to fentanyl poisoning on March 3, 2019. His father and I are devastated. This
is a loss you never come back from. My husband described it as a constant pain and
weight in his chest that wouldn't go away. He says he now knows what a broken heart
feels like.
I know you have children and grandchildren. Would you assist us in finding a permanent
location for a Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall within our Capitol? We have created two
Memorial Walls, one with names and one with photos.
Sincerely,
Betty Johnson – Adam’s mom; forever 25
McKenzie, Tennessee