Ella Claire Gutowski was born on a summer afternoon, June 28, 2007. She enriched our lives immeasurably for the next 17 years. While she is no longer with us physically, everyone who knew her feels her presence, hears her laughter, and conjures her spirit often. She was truly one of a kind.

Ella was smart, funny, and caring. She was an amazing writer, not just for her age, but for her species. She loved her family and her friends, and her silly dog Boots. Before she started her junior year of high school, she wrote her "future self" a letter, which arrived at our home after she had left us. It began, "How's Bootsy?"