Son, adventurer, life saver. Born Jan. 6, 2010, in Ottawa. Died May 5, 2011, in Ottawa, of a head injury, aged 16 months.
Known as "Petit Prince" to his admirers, Etienne Gumpert Bell loved to laugh, make silly faces and blow kisses at passersby.
His caregiver was once so embarrassed by Etienne's penchant to hug and kiss children at a local playgroup that she implored his parents, David Bell and Andrea Gumpert, to "do something." They ignored her and gave their precocious son extra-long embraces.
Almost off the charts in size for his age, he had already mastered how to walk and was quickly learning to rub his mama's round tummy doucement. Perhaps he sensed his baby brother, Emanuel – born on June 26 – growing inside.
Etienne's life was cut tragically and incomprehensibly short after he suffered head trauma in an accident at his daycare. He never regained consciousness. When doctors raised the idea of organ donation, we knew he would have wanted to help others in need. In the end, three children received his organs.
Etienne thrived in the daily routine and rituals of a young family. He would exclaim "wow" after every new discovery: whether petting a lamb, hearing a fire truck siren up close or staring at dinosaur bones. He would also try to nibble the ears of his two favourite dogs, Oscar and Lefty, whenever they visited.
There were many special moments. While camping on Quebec's North Shore, he looked in wonderment as a pod of belugas swam close to shore. He tasted Bavarian beer while visiting three generations of relatives in Munich. When he and his mama visited a dear friend in the Netherlands, he rode on a bicycle pedalled by a beautiful blond Dutch woman next to windmills, hayfields and grazing cows.
At Etienne's baptism shortly after his birth, Father Joe affectionately called him a "buster" and wished his parents "good luck with your project."
So much of that project remains unfulfilled, but his life and death embody important lessons. He taught others never to take a precious moment of family time – however mundane – for granted, and not to delay opportunities to visit friends both near and far.
Just days before his death, Etienne's mama recorded a short clip of him that she submitted to the CBC for its 1 Day documentary project. The CBC invited Canadians to submit videos that showed what they had done on April 30 in order to mark this day for posterity.
In the video, Etienne sits in his highchair at lunchtime, excitedly signs for more fruit, then helps his papa count to cinq.
In the words of the program's producer, Etienne's clip "captures the magic in sharing everyday moments with the people we love."
That other children live on because of Etienne's gift of life is a fitting tribute to a baby who deserved his princely title.
David Bell is Etienne's father.