02/05/2025
The Crisis of Fentanyl: A Mother’s Mission to Save Lives
In a deeply moving speech at a Lunch and Learn event in Crossett, Arkansas, Mayor Crystal Marshall introduced Stacy James, a mother turned advocate who is working to combat the fentanyl epidemic sweeping rural America. Through her personal tragedy—the loss of her 22-year-old son, Hagen, to fentanyl poisoning—Stacy has found purpose in helping families cope with addiction, loss, and grief.
Her organization, Hope Movement Coalition, provides support, resources, and advocacy for those affected by addiction and fentanyl-related deaths. As she spoke to the Crossett audience, her message was clear: this crisis is not just happening in big cities—it is here, in small towns, destroying families in silence.
A Small-Town Tragedy with National Impact
Stacy James’s story is one of unimaginable loss and relentless determination. She lost her son, Hagen, to fentanyl poisoning in 2019—a death that could have been prevented. Her journey into advocacy was not by choice but by necessity.
“I was raised in church. I’ve served in church my entire life. And when my son died, I heard from no one.” —Stacy James, 2024
Hagen’s story is tragically common. He was smart, athletic, and had a promising future in the U.S. Navy as a submariner—his lifelong dream. But like many, his struggle began with unresolved trauma. At just two years old, he suffered psychological abuse at daycare, where caregivers locked him in a refrigerator box for up to 45 minutes at a time. He learned early on that he wasn’t safe, that his cries for help went unheard, and that his mother couldn’t protect him. This trauma followed him into adolescence, affecting his behavior and mental health.
At 14 years old, Hagen turned to marijuana—a common coping mechanism for teens dealing with emotional pain. Over time, his use escalated to prescription pills, and later to harder drugs. Despite struggling with addiction, he fought to change his life, getting into the Navy against all odds, scoring high on his entrance exam, and being selected as a submariner. But one night, he made a split-second decision—he and his fellow sailors used co***ne, unaware it was laced with fentanyl.
Hagen failed a drug test, was discharged from the Navy, and returned home, devastated. He tried to rebuild his life, promising his mother that he would stay clean and focus on being a father to his unborn child. But just days before he planned to turn things around, he decided to have one last night of partying. The drugs he took contained five times the lethal dose of fentanyl.
He died alone, in his room, just next door to his mother.
The Reality of Fentanyl: A Crisis in Small-Town America
Stacy James’s experience is not unique. Families across the country—especially in small, rural communities like Crossett—are losing children, parents, siblings, and friends to a drug they never intended to take.
“It’s easy living in a small town to think, ‘Oh, that happens in the big city, not here.’ But statistically, it’s happening in rural Arkansas more than it is in Fayetteville or Little Rock.” —Stacy James, 2024
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than he**in. Just two milligrams—the equivalent of a few grains of salt—can kill. It’s being mixed into co***ne, he**in, m**h, and fake prescription pills, making nearly every illicit drug on the street a game of Russian roulette.
Stacy emphasized that fentanyl is not a drug people seek out—it’s a poison hidden in substances they trust. Most victims do not know they are taking fentanyl until it’s too late.
The Role of Trauma in Addiction
One of the most powerful messages in Stacy’s speech was that no one chooses to be an addict. Instead, they are seeking relief from pain they don’t know how to handle.
“People do not choose to become addicted to drugs. They do not choose to lose their families. They don’t choose to hurt their mamas or their children. They choose to use. And eventually, that choice becomes a dependency.” —Stacy James, 2024
She spoke about the many forms of trauma that can lead to addiction—physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, mental illness, car accidents, war, loss—all experiences that leave lasting scars.
She also challenged the stigma surrounding addiction, calling out those who judge without understanding.
“I hear people say, ‘Oh, they’re just a junkie.’ No. That was my son. That was someone’s child, someone’s father, someone’s best friend.” —Stacy James, 2024
Hagen was not a failure. He was a bright, talented young man who fell into a trap that is swallowing thousands of lives every year.
Hope Movement Coalition: Turning Grief Into Action
After Hagen’s death, Stacy found herself lost and alone. No one knew how to help her—not her church, not her community, not even medical professionals.
“Three days. That’s all the time I was given off work to grieve my child.” —Stacy James, 2024
She quickly realized that families who lose loved ones to addiction are often ignored or judged, rather than supported. That’s why she founded Hope Movement Coalition, a nonprofit that provides:
• Financial assistance for funeral costs, housing, and basic needs.
• Trauma-informed grief counseling for parents, siblings, and children.
• Legal assistance for grandparents suddenly raising grandchildren.
• Community awareness programs to educate the public about fentanyl and addiction.
One of the most impactful projects of Hope Movement Coalition is its memorial banners—each one containing 150 faces of people lost to fentanyl. She now has 33 banners—over 7,000 lives lost. She takes these banners to schools, community events, and government meetings to show the human cost of fentanyl.
Changing Laws, Saving Lives
Stacy has become a powerful advocate for policy change. She has worked with Arkansas lawmakers and law enforcement to pass stricter fentanyl trafficking laws, ensuring dealers face harsher penalties.
She also helped pass a law requiring all Arkansas high schools to stock naloxone (Narcan), a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses.
“There’s a reason Narcan is now in every high school. It’s because we have students overdosing in the bathrooms.” —Stacy James, 2024
Her message was clear: fentanyl is killing our children, and communities must step up to fight back.
The Power of Small Communities
Despite the pain and frustration she has endured, Stacy James believes small communities like Crossett have the power to make the biggest impact.
“I moved back to my small town because I knew I’d be seen there. In Little Rock, no one sees you. But here, in towns like Crossett, you can check on your neighbor. You can have the hard conversations. You can save a life just by paying attention.” —Stacy James, 2024
She encouraged business leaders, pastors, teachers, and community members to:
• Talk about fentanyl openly.
• Support families struggling with addiction.
• Advocate for prevention and treatment programs.
• Stop blaming and start helping.
“We have to stop asking, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ and start asking, ‘What happened to them?’” —Stacy James, 2024
Conclusion: A Call to Action
Stacy James closed her speech with a heartfelt plea:
“I can’t bring my son back. But I can fight like hell to keep your kids alive.”
Her mission is clear: To save lives, to break the stigma, and to ensure that no other family has to endure the pain she has suffered.
If there was one message she wanted to leave behind, it was this:
Talk about it. Share the truth. Save a life.
