Gabriel was a boy from Drøbak who suffered from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This caused him to have to use a wheelchair from the age of 8. As a young teenager he fought successfully to have a lift fitted in the community building (Underhuset) where the youth club would meet. He later became a campaigner for Norges Handikapforbund (Norwegian Handicap Society) where he rose to become its national youth leader.
Gabriel played guitar, ukulele, keyboard and mouth organ. The image of the guitar on the bench is taken from his illustration of his own guitar. He also had a fascination for moose – this is why there is an image of a moose (elg) on the bench. Gabriel was a big Bruce Springsteen fan, so it is fitting to include a Springsteen quote on this bench. It also perfectly reflects Gabriel’s life: “It’s not the time in your life, it’s the life in your time”.
The idea of a bench was instigated by an old school friend Chris Sjöberg.
Gabriels Site 