Jessica Akhrass' brother died from an overdose of prescription opioid painkillers.
Now, she is working on a memoir about the experience of losing her brother and successfully pushing for changes in Tennessee state law to tighten regulations around prescription opiates.
“It’s emotionally draining. You have to relive what happened in detail,” says Akhrass, who lives in Lenoir City.
She says she hopes her book will help fight the stigma associated with addiction and encourage other people to fight for change, even when they’re not sure where to start.