New Hampshire First Lady Valerie Sununu

Dear First Lady Valerie Sununu,
I am writing to you today because I lost my son, Derek, six years ago, at age 26 to
addiction amid the opioid crisis. To help our family keep his memory alive and to share
and educate people about the disease of addiction, Derek has been part of several local
memorials. It is devastating to see all the photos lined up of young men and women who
lost their battle with addiction.
Derek grew up with a happy, active childhood full of friendships and sports. He was the
oldest of our three children and is missed terribly by his siblings. His young death and
his struggles with addiction have impacted their lives as well. Derek’s addiction began
with pain medication that led to stronger opioids, and eventually he had a fatal fentanyl
overdose.
Fentanyl is taking the lives of so many. Derek was in recovery and working hard. He had
hopes of a family one day. He was a great friend, brother, and son. The power of
substance use disorder is strong and hard to break. The treatment is not long enough,
and my son was trying hard to get approved for medications such as Vivitrol to assist
with the cravings. There are no words to describe losing a child. I am not alone. In 2017,
when Derek passed, there were over 70,000 deaths from overdose and fentanyl was
prevalent. I try to educate others about substance use disorders in hopes of preventing
this tragedy from happening to more families.
Mine and many other families live with this grief every day. Will you please consider a
Memorial Wall to remember those lost to addiction and to spread more awareness about
this disorder? Thank you sincerely for considering.
Sincerely,
Jackie Godwin-Lanzillo
Hooksett, NH