Tennessee Letters for First First Lady Maria Lee

Dear First Lady Maria Lee,
My name is Diane Norris-Hounschell, and I lost my only son, Joshua Daniel Weaver to fentanyl
poisoning on October 4, 2022.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and, through no fault of his own, the medication
either made him a zombie or made him violent. We discontinued the meds by age 13.
He struggled with school most of his school years, either getting expelled or failing. He made it to
high school, and in January of his senior year he found out that his diploma would be a Special
Ed diploma and decided it would do him no good, so he signed himself out of school.
Josh was such a kind-hearted person with some severe mental concerns that he could not work
through, so he turned to alcohol and pain pills, until those quit working or couldn't afford them.
He then turned to meth and heroin for a cheap high.
He eventually got married and had three little boys but lost his family due to his drug use. After
becoming homeless and many overdoses later, he decided it was time for help. My baby got
himself a bed set up at Journey Pure and stayed 32 days and then went to a halfway house. His
first night there he was trying to work things out with his wife, but she refused him, so he went
right back to the streets. He felt we were pushing him too hard to get better, so he wouldn’t talk
to us and avoided us when we saw him out walking the streets. The last time I saw him was
September 24, 2022. I came out of a little thrift store, and he was leaning against my car. He
immediately started arguing with me. He was in such a bad place; it broke my heart.
On October 4th, 2022, at 5:15 p.m. my phone rang. It was my husband's friend, so I just passed
the phone to him. When I saw my husband's face, I knew something was wrong. He called to say
that a guy named Jacob told him he thinks Josh is dead. I immediately left to go find some
answers. My son's lifelong friend rode with me. At the scene I was directed to a dilapidated shed
where I found my baby boy lying dead on an old dirty mattress. I just collapsed and fell over my
son's body. I remained there until the police officer dragged me off him.
I knew in my heart that someone gave him fentanyl. That was confirmed when I got the autopsy
report: fentanyl poisoning. I have not been right since. I suffer nightmares, panic attacks, PTSD,
along with many other medical issues. I am just falling to pieces.
I want to say thank you for reading my angel's story. Please help us to build a Memorial Wall in
honor of our loved ones who have been victims of the drug epidemic.
Sincerely,
Diane Norris-Hounschell – Josh’s mom; forever 31
Knoxville, Tennessee