INDIANAPOLIS — During President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Thursday, you may have spotted three Hoosiers in the audience as honored guests.
Justin Phillips' journey to this year's speech started back in 2023, when she met with second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
"He chose me as his guest for this evening. They called me Tuesday with the invitation. It's been quite an honor and privilege," Phillips said.
When Phillips and Emhoff spoke last year, they talked about her son, Aaron, and her nonprofit. Aaron died from a heroin overdose 10 years ago. Since then, Phillips has dedicated her life to helping other families and individuals dealing with addiction and substance use disorder.
It's why she started Overdose Lifeline.
"It was important to talk about Aaron and his cause of death so we wouldn't have to feel the stigma, so others can have a community. This is just continuing by letting it be part of the national stage," Phillips said.
Phillips hopes Biden's administration puts a focus on the fentanyl overdose crisis.
"I think it's a very challenging solution," Phillips said. "I'm looking forward to hearing what the president believes are some alternatives and options for us as a nation."
She wants to send a message, not only to the lawmakers there, but to the millions of Americans who deal with substance abuse every day.
"I hope that it helps them feel that they're not alone. That we are not suffering alone. There are people out there on behalf of all of us trying to keep the issue on the forefront of the leaders and the people who have decision-making abilities," Phillips said.
But most of all, she was thinking about Aaron.
"I think Aaron would say 'I'm proud of you, thank you.' He also would be very humbled. Aaron was pretty empathetic and, honestly, pretty humble," Phillips said.
United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who started his career at a Chrysler plant in Kokomo, was also in the first lady's box.
And Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the Indianapolis OB-GYN who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio, was in the audience. She was a guest of a congresswoman from California.