A new billboard near Kellogg and Interstate 235 in Wichita memorializes Kansas residents who have lost their lives to fentanyl overdoses. The billboard, which features photos of victims ranging from infants to adults in their 40s, aims to raise awareness about the deadly dangers of fentanyl.
The initiative was started by Mariah Ball, whose 14-month-old son, Lucca, tragically died from a fentanyl overdose in 2022. Lucca’s death occurred while he was with his father, who had struggled with addiction. It was months later that fentanyl was determined to be the cause of Lucca’s death, though Ball remains uncertain about how her son ingested the drug.
“I don’t want to see anyone else go through this and have to lose a child, a grandchild,” said Ball. Despite time passing, she continues to grieve, expressing that the pain hasn’t lessened as expected. “He doesn’t get to experience things that other children are supposed to experience,” she reflected.
The billboard also includes victims like Katie Cook’s brother, Wesley, who died from fentanyl three years ago at the age of 17. Cook, who has struggled with grief since his passing, joined the effort to honor her brother and others lost to the epidemic.
Ball reached out through social media to gather photos from other families affected by fentanyl, helping them memorialize their loved ones on the billboard. The display is set to remain for the next month as a poignant reminder of the widespread impact of fentanyl on communities.
Ball’s goal is clear: to prevent more families from experiencing the heartbreak she has endured. The billboard serves not only as a tribute but also as a call for increased awareness about the danger of fentanyl.