{"id":59680,"date":"2025-10-24T23:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T02:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=59680"},"modified":"2025-10-24T23:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T02:30:00","slug":"she-was-fearless-family-remembers-five-year-old-adalind-gaul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=59680","title":{"rendered":"\u2018She was fearless\u2019: Family remembers five-year-old Adalind Gaul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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FALL RIVER:<\/strong> Fearless. Determined. Loving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are just a few of the words used to describe five-year-old Adalind Gaul, whose boundless energy, adventurous heart, and gentle soul left a lasting mark on everyone who knew her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adalind, who was in Grade Primary at Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary School, was one of two children who tragically lost their lives in a boating accident in Queens County earlier this month. A man and another child were sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her mom, Karla DeYoung,spoke with The Laker News to share the type of little girl her daughter was. One that was full of life, laughter, and love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was fearless,\u201d Karla said, with husband Jon Gaul nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019d tell her how strong she was all the time, and you could tell by her little grin that she knew it too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Story: Remembering Lucy Cable-Munroe “She was just perfect”<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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(Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Adalind Gaul. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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(Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That fearless spirit showed early. Adalind mastered a two-wheel bike by age three-and-a-half, rode a dirt bike at five just to keep up with her big brothers, and could conquer any set of monkey bars, even ones they couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She loved climbing anything she could \u2014 trees, poles, even the sides of buildings \u2014 and was thrilled to make it to the top of the indoor climbing gym this past summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was always climbing, always moving,\u201d Karla recalled with a smile. \u201cShe just loved being active.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A love for life\u2019s little adventures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether she was jumping off the dock at the WJCC, swimming for hours in the family pool, or dropping in on her scooter at the local skate park, Adalind was happiest in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was never afraid to try something new,\u201d her mom said. \u201cIf she fell, she\u2019d just say, \u2018I\u2019m OK,\u2019 and get back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GoFundMe: <\/strong>Support the Gaul family<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Adalind having fun on playground equipment. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Adalind\u2019s adventures also took her far from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019d already visited Banff, Puerto Rico, Disney World, and most recently Quebec on a family road trip. She loved flying and always asked when the next trip would be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her favourite destination, though, might have been Marco Polo Land in PEI, where she\u2019d race around the campground with her cousins and convince her brother Aidan to buy her treats at the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was always up for an adventure,\u201d Karla said. \u201cCamping, fishing, dirt biking, or just driving the trails in the Jeep or the Bronco, she loved it all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A creative, kind-hearted soul<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adalind\u2019s creative side was as strong as her adventurous one. She loved to paint, colour, and draw, often using scotch tape for everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe used to joke that we\u2019d just buy her rolls of tape for Christmas,\u201d Karla laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had an eye for fashion too, though her style was uniquely her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mismatched, colourful, and often well-loved outfits were her trademark, and when it came to hairstyles, it was always \u201ctwo ponies with braids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Adalind as a Christmas elf at her school. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cShe was so independent,\u201d Karla said. \u201cShe knew what she liked, and that\u2019s what she wore \u2014 no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adalind also loved celebrating special occasions. Her birthdays, Halloween, and Christmas were some of her favourite times of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cShe had already picked out her Halloween costume and was counting down to her sixth birthday,\u201d Karla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe loved the excitement of it all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A devoted little sister<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family meant everything to Adalind. She shared a close bond with her brothers Aidan and Quinn, always wanting to be part of whatever they were doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She and Quinn were partners in play, dressing up in matching elf pajamas, building imaginary worlds, and filling the house with laughter (and a little bit of chaos).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were the best of friends,\u201d Karla said. \u201cShe\u2019s left a very big void in Quinn\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her bond with Aidan was just as strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each school day, he would walk her to her classroom, letting her hold his backpack strap and giving her a hug goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe got her through a tough year in pre-primary,\u201d Karla shared. \u201cHe was always there for her, with piggybacks, spins, and endless love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adalind Gaul and her dog Nola. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A gentle heart full of love<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adalind\u2019s kindness shone through in the smallest ways. She was always picking wildflowers for her mom and dad, offering words of encouragement, or doing something thoughtful for her brothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though she was stingy with her kisses, teasing her dad and nana by saying \u201cno\u201d with a smirk, those she gave were meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe knew it made us laugh,\u201d Karla said. \u201cAnd when you got a kiss from her, you knew she really meant it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One constant companion who received endless affection was Nola, the family dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nola tolerated being climbed on, examined, and hugged tight, and always made sure to stand protectively by Adalind\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adalind gets a piggyback. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A bright light remembered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adalind wasn\u2019t like most kids \u2014 she didn\u2019t care much for pizza, preferring sushi or \u201cchicken and rice.\u201d She loved Hi Chew candies and buying chips at the school canteen with her friends.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aidan recalls his sister always loving suckers and ice cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all the little things that made her so happy,\u201d Karla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At night, her routine always ended the same: a back scratch, then curling up on her mom\u2019s chest to fall asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven though she had a new big girl bed, most mornings we\u2019d wake to find her between us,\u201d Karla said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe loved waking up to her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adalind also shared a special friendship with Lucy Cable-Munroe, who treated her like a little sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLucy was amazing with her,\u201d Karla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can still hear Lucy saying, \u2018OK, Adalind, that is enough.\u2019 Adalind adored her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forever loved<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her five years, Adalindfilled countless hearts with joy, courage, and love. She lived bravely, cared deeply, and saw the world with wide-eyed wonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer life was full of family, friends, and so much love,\u201d Karla said. \u201cWe will miss her forever, but we are so thankful for the beautiful years we had with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Adalind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name:<\/strong> Adalind Gaul
Age:<\/strong> 5
School:<\/strong> Grade Primary, Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary
Parents:<\/strong> Karla DeYoung and Jon Gaul
Brothers:<\/strong> Aidan and Quinn
Favourite things:<\/strong> Sushi, \u201cchicken and rice,\u201d Hi Chew candies, and Fruit by the Foot
Loved:<\/strong> Climbing, swimming, dirt biking, painting, family adventures, and her dog Nola<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FALL RIVER: Fearless. Determined. Loving. Those are just a few of the words used to describe five-year-old Adalind Gaul, whose boundless energy, adventurous heart, and gentle soul left a lasting mark on everyone who knew her. Adalind, who was in Grade Primary at Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary School, was one of two children who tragically […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,957],"tags":[9503,9544,9486,2,9505,2057,9545],"class_list":["post-59680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","tag-adalind-gaul","tag-ash-lee-jefferson-elementary","tag-boating-accident","tag-fall-river","tag-gaul-family","tag-queens-county","tag-remembering-adalind"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=59680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/59725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=59680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=59680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=59680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}