Despite being visibly drained in the wake of her son?s death, Dawnette Bell drew strength from the words of an old spiritual to cope with her loss

Finding comfort in ?It Is Well With My Soul?, Ms Bell introduced herself, she did so by quietly stating: ?I am still the mother of two.?

Three-year-old Jason Bell was found dead in his neighbour?s swimming pool Thursday afternoon in an apparent drowning.

Police, neighbours, and family members began searching for Jason Bell yesterday afternoon at about 5.30 after the child was reported missing from a Whitney Avenue residence. An aunt was watching over the boys while Ms Bell, a Customs officer, was at work. Within minutes of the caregiver last seeing the boy, the entire neighbourhood was out searching for him.

The search, which went on for about 45 minutes, ended with a tragic discovery a dark shadow in a neighbour?s pool which was in fact Jason?s lifeless body.

A member of the family and a police officer jumped into the pool to try and rescue the child, and CPR was performed. However, after arriving at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital shortly afterwards, Jason was pronounced dead.

But his mother was comforted by the deeply-held belief that her son had served his life?s purpose during his brief sojourn.

Ms Bell and her family had been previously featured in when Jason was ten months old. Ms Bell had spoken about the joys of her blended family and her pleasure at being able to adopt as a single parent.

?To know Jason is to love Jason... he was only three years old, but everyone who came into contact with him loved him,? said Ms Bell.

?This is a tragic accident, but it?s not anybody?s fault Jason died. If he hadn?t drowned in a swimming pool, then it would have been in the turtle tank or the bathtub or a cup of water.

?It was Jason?s turn to die, and it was his turn to die yesterday... I will honour his memory and respect the plan God has for him,? she added.

Ms Bell said that her family had been blessed by Jason?s presence, and she explained that Jason had brought together a number of different people who now considered themselves part of an extended family.

Jason came into Ms Bell?s home when he was two months old and officially adopted shortly afterwards. Ms Bell explained that Jason had four siblings one biological brother, two biological sisters, and Justin Ms Bell?s other adopted son.

?We consider Jason?s biological siblings our family, too they just happen to live elsewhere,? said Ms Bell. ?In our family, the way you come into the world is not as important as the relationships which develop.?

Ms Bell, who adopted her first child after having trouble conceiving, emphasised that her connection with Jason and his brother was as strong as if she had physically given birth to them.

?I don?t think my children were randomly chosen. I think God placed these children in someone else?s womb so that they could carry them for me, but from the moment I saw them, I knew they were my children.?

Ms Bell said her faith in God as well as the support from her family and community have sustained her in her grief.

And when asked how the community could best offer her support, Ms Bell replied that they could simply recognise their own children as gifts.

Yesterday, Ms Bell went to Jason?s school Kiddie Academy along with grief counsellors to help his classmates process their feelings.

And Ms Bell urged well-wishers not to feel afraid or uncomfortable about mentioning Jason to her, since she is proud of her son and wants to celebrate his life.