Funny, smart, sweet, and a joy to be around
Family and friends describe Isaac Bastian as a gentle spirit. He moved through the world with a sly smile on his face, and days full of love and laughter. Isaac loved animals, family, and friends. He had a sarcastic sense of humor, but was also attuned to what others were feeling.
His own tender heart showed up early. As a kindergartener, Isaac played soccer and wanted to score a goal. He finally scored in the last game of the season, but instead of cheering, his mom noticed Isaac was crying. He’d lost his tooth, couldn’t find it, and was worried the Tooth Fairy wouldn’t visit without it. The lost tooth was never found, but Isaac stated his case in a letter and the Tooth Fairy rewarded him.
For several summers, Isaac, his sisters, Talia, and Rachel, and their mother spent summers at Echo Lake Camp on Mount Desert Island in Maine. They hiked, spent time with friends, and played poker into the night. Isaac loved being outdoors, and it was the family’s happy place.
The siblings were close as children, all born three and a half years apart. They enjoyed going to amusement parks and visiting their grandmother in Connecticut. As they got older, they talked about getting tattoos together and taking a road trip.
Isaac struggled in school but found success attending the alternative program at Natick High School. After graduation, he started dating a former classmate, Julia. They liked to hang out at his apartment watching movies, eating takeout, or cooking. Isaac was an accomplished cook and enjoyed trying new restaurants around Boston. He was thinking about pursuing a culinary career. He was a hard worker and got jobs easily, each one with a better salary than the one before.
Isaac told his mother he could envision a future with Julia. He said he wanted kids ‘sooner than later,’ and a boy first. His mother suspects that Isaac’s dreams of “normal” things required faith and courage. He faced numerous challenges, including mental health issues, parental alienation, and early exposure to drugs, none of which were his own doing.
Isaac’s addiction to drugs changed him and the crowd he ran with. He sold drugs and at one time became a confidential informant. When he was in high school, Isaac’s mother did not approve of his friends and he went to live with his dad. Thankfully, Isaac and his mother renewed their relationship near the end of his life, but she was unaware of his previous overdoses. She misses his smile, the way he gestured with his index finger and his strong hugs. Orange was Isaac’s favorite color, and sunrises and sunsets are recurring reminders of his beautiful soul.
“I am learning about addiction, how it changes your brain and essentially takes over your life. I see people who have SUD through much more empathic eyes,” his mother, Megan, said. “I share Isaac’s story with anyone who will listen. I am not ashamed of how he died. I’m aware that substance use disorder can and does happen to anyone. When I am asked about my kids, I always say ‘I had three kids, but my son died from fentanyl.’”
Isaac’s mother, Megan Santosus, provided the information for this narrative.
November 18, 2000–October 27, 2021-Age 20
Portrait Artist: Jeremy Hebbel
Narrative Writer: Lynne Mixson
