It’s the smile.

That toothy, exuberant, using-every-last-inch-of-his-face grin.

I’ve now seen three different photos of 8-year-old Korbin Minchey in the news, and all three feature that same infectious smile — a look that leaves me with an identical feeling, every time: This was some special kid.

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It reminds me a little of the big-hearted Chunk, my favorite character from the 1985 film “The Goonies.” Like Chunk, Korbin looks like the kind of kid who was kind to others, who liked corny jokes, whose heart was always in the right place even when his feet and hands got him into mischief. He looks like a kid who — despite the serious challenges it may present — loved life.

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Korbin died Tuesday after being swept away in the Ogden River, reportedly as he chased after his service dog, a black lab named Charlie. Accidental deaths are always unfortunate, but when it’s a child the loss is particularly gut-wrenching. And the fact Korbin had autism, and was living in a homeless shelter, makes this tragedy all the more poignant.

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Friends and acquaintances described Korbin as a special boy. Adventurous. Adorable. Kind. Loving. Talkative. Gregarious. Selfless. A “generally rambunctious good kid.”

John Terry, a social worker at the Lantern House homeless shelter where Korbin and his mother had been living, said the boy had his struggles, but he brought joy to those around him.

“It’s devastating when anybody passes,” Terry told the Standard-Examiner’s Cathy McKitrick, “but particularly when a child passes away, the effects are heavy for those of us that knew this family.”

Carol Drake, a current resident at the shelter, told McKitrick that the last time she saw Korbin she bought him a Bug Juice and a candy bar from the convenience store.

And now, after a scant eight years, he’s gone.

My wife and I have had experience with three 8-year-old children in our life. And we currently have an 8-year-old grandson living with us. He’s not autistic or homeless, but he’s every bit as adventurous and adorable and kind — plus all those other things — as Korbin. He even loves Bug Juice.

And when he says prayers at night he regularly remembers to ask God to bless the less fortunate. The homeless. The sick. Those who are sad, like Korbin’s mother.

I can’t even imagine what she’s going through right now; losing my little 8-year-old grandson would pretty much put me in the grave.

As tragic as Korbin’s death was, it’s through such adversity that we often see a community at its best. Korbin’s mother couldn’t even afford to bury her son, but once word got out about her predicament others rallied to her aid.

One couple donated a burial plot. Someone else donated a headstone. A mortuary offered to provide the funeral at no cost. Others have made donations to Korbin’s family through the Lantern House or an online GoFundMe account, and the hope is that Korbin’s mother will be able to use some of that money to move into her own apartment.

All this, in addition to the countless heartfelt thoughts and prayers being offered up.

I suppose it’s just human nature, but it’s a shame that it often takes a tragedy to remind us to help others. If there’s a take-home lesson in all of this for me, it’s that I should be more mindful of those around me and their challenges. I need to be more aware of the day-to-day struggles of those in my life, and try to do something before it reaches life-or-death magnitude.

That we all now want to help Korbin’s grieving mother is admirable. Getting her son a proper burial, and getting her out of the shelter and into stable housing, are good things to do.

I just wish Korbin would have gotten to see the new apartment.

Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272, or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Friend him on Facebook at facebook.com/MarkSaal.