Posted on 03/29/2017 7:15:49 PM PDT by TigerClaws
Isabella Marie Sammartano
With deep sadness we mourn the sudden passing of our dear daughter Isabella (Bella) Sammartano, age 20, who succumbed to her battle with addiction and died from a heroin overdose in our home on March 24, 2017. Showing strength, determination, and a love for life, Bella lived clean for the last 16 months before her sudden relapse last week, succumbing to this terrible disease, now an epidemic and taking far too many of our loved ones from us every day.
Bella will be remembered as intelligent and full of love, conviction, empathy, and with a sense of humor well beyond her years. Bella loved her family first, and here at home was where she felt safe and truly loved. Her empathy for others knew no bounds, and Bella was always quick to come to the defense of others. Bella loved the outdoors, the woods, and all the animals that lived there. She loved bones, fossils, rocks, feathers, mushrooms, and was generally in reverence of everything in the natural world. Bella could be found exploring the woods, observing nature, and reflecting on the science of things with a passion. Bella was also a talented artist who though secretive and modest about her abilities, was occasionally proud to share her amazing sketches with her family or closest friends.
After graduating from Kirkwood High School in 2014, Bella soon found herself struggling with the disease of addiction, and entered a number of recovery facilities in Minnesota, California, and Missouri, before returning to her Kirkwood home in 2016 and to her supportive and loving family. Here she attended St. Louis Community College at Meramec receiving the highest grades, making Dean’s List last semester, and where Bella was preparing herself for a future in the biological sciences. Bella had dreams. She spoke of graduate school and of working in a lab someday, and all of this seemed possible until her life was tragically cut short last week.
Bella is survived by her devoted and loving mom and dad, Christy Hathaway Sammartano and Dan Sammartano, and her adoring sister Francesca (Frankie) Sammartano, all of Kirkwood, Missouri. She also leaves behind her loving grandmother Carolyn Clark (Grandma Lyn) of Turners Falls, Massachusetts, and a loving and supportive family of Aunts, Uncles and cousins in Missouri and Massachusetts. These include her Aunt Valery Griffin (Uncle Pete) of Gill, MA, uncles Michael Hathaway (Katherine Mitchell) and Matthew Hathaway (Jessica Hathaway), of St. Louis, MO, and her uncle Chris Sammartano (Ann Fitzgerald) of Ipswich, MA. She also leaves her cousins Lexi Griffin of Gill, MA, Cooper Sammartano of Ipswich, MA, and Lucy, Romy and Ivy Hathaway all of St. Louis, MO. She also leaves behind her loving godmother Missy (Michel) Lewis, and “Aunt” Angela (Buckley) Martin, both of St. Louis. Bella is also survived by a lifetime of schoolmates, close friends, and people she came to know in and out of recovery.
Visitation: A Visitation will be held for the public at Bopp Chapel in Kirkwood, on Thursday, March 30, 2017 between 4:00 and 8:00 PM. A private service will be held in Massachusetts for close family.
Bella was a strong-willed woman choosing to fight the addiction her own way, but who would ultimately succumb to this terrible disease. It’s her family’s hope that her passing will bring awareness to heroin addiction as a treatable and organic disease, and to drug proliferation in our communities and homes. In honor of Bella’s short and wonderful life, please consider a donation to the Harris House Foundation, harrishousestl.org.
Yep
Let’s call them “self-inflicted medical conditions,” then.
Agree
And if that was all there was to it you might be correct.
The dis-ease is deadly if not properly and continuously treated
Agreed
I practiced law with the attorney Christie mentions in his speeches. Phenomenal attorney, absolute stand up gentleman, and wonderful family man. He got badly hurt playing softball and started taking painkillers. His injury was legit. I hadn’t seen him in a while and asked where he was and his partner told me about the incident and the surgery. Next time I saw him at a dep he was a shell of his former self. The descent was frightening. I know Christie and his law school buddies and his colleagues tried everything to save him. He eventually died broke and alone. Heartbreaking
And if you actually understood addiction and the dis-ease that causes it you wouldn’t make such ignorant statements
You have no clue what you are talking about
No, this “disease” gets better when the person stops voluntarily using the often illegal substance.
Just had a former employee...nice kid...24 years old...same story. Tried to get clean, relapsed and died of OD. Sad story.
Just had a former employee...nice kid...24 years old...same story. Tried to get clean, relapsed and died of OD. Sad story.
You have never gone through a craving....
Type two diabetes is considered a disease. That is cured by changing what you eat and how you exercise
Amen to that
Horsehockey
Build the wall - man it with guards carrying machine guns...
I practiced law with the attorney Christie mentions in his speeches. Phenomenal attorney, absolute stand up gentleman, and wonderful family man. He got badly hurt playing softball and started taking painkillers. His injury was legit. I hadn’t seen him in a while and asked where he was and his partner told me about the incident and the surgery. Next time I saw him at a dep he was a shell of his former self. The descent was frightening. I know Christie and his law school buddies and his colleagues tried everything to save him. He eventually died broke and alone. Heartbreaking
Not all felons are addicts. Not all addicts are felons
You obviously only work with foljs who have been incarcerated. Like the ER doc you have a skewed view
The real gate way drug is alcohol
No, not a blanket condemnation, but at this time and with my experience(s), when I see a person with a tattoo in public, I make a mental note and I generally assume they are unhappy with themselves, their life choices, or their situation. They either use substances in excess or have a history of substance abuse on some level. It is plausible that they have a criminal record even if it’s only one misd charge.
Generally speaking, persons who are mature, family oriented, unselfish, mentally stable, and are stage three thinkers will never, ever get a tattoo.
There are always exceptions.
Well, unless said person forcibly had her take heroin, the dead woman is ultimately the one responsible.
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