‘He always smiled’

Danette Goulet

CORONA DEL MAR -- One after another, loved ones described the quirky

smile and infectious laugh that caused many eyes in the Corona del Mar

High School gym to cloud with memories Friday morning as students held a

memorial for Brian Campbell.

“He never frowned. He always smiled,” said Andrea Ashton, a friend of

Campbell. “His smile is the best part of him.”

The 17-year-old high school senior died Tuesday morning of a cerebral

hemorrhage after falling and hitting his head last weekend.

Doctors have suggested that the unusual reaction to a bump on the head

may mean the arteries in Campbell’s brain didn’t heal properly from a

surgery he had when he was 6 months old, said Collene Campbell, his

grandmother.

Campbell’s family attended the student memorial assembly Friday to

thank students for their emotional support and to let them know their

sentiments were appreciated, said his mother, Shelly Campbell.

Students remembered their classmate with words, songs and dance.

The memorial began with student Jacqueline Becker singing “Wind

Beneath my Wings,” by Bette Midler -- a song Brian’s grandmother deemed a

perfect choice for him.

Another of his grieving friends, Brian Gallagher, played the guitar

and sang a song he wrote about the loss.

While many students may have known Campbell’s wish that his organs be

donated, Shelly Campbell let them know that through their loss five

people will now have a new chance at life.

“Especially a 17-year-old girl who has his liver,” she said. “I was

told she wouldn’t have made it through the night without his liver.”

Collene Campbell said she was proud of her grandson’s wishes and her

daughter’s strength in carrying them out.

“We just hope that the person who got his heart knows what a fantastic

heart he got,” she said.

The family will also set up a foundation in his name, called the Brian

Scott Campbell Humanitarian Award.

“It will go to one or two kids who give the most to life -- not for

scholastics,” Collene Campbell said.