Etiennette Acquin, eldest daughter of gardener Pierre Acquin, discovered Vitalis's lifeless body in the snow and insisted her family adopt the orphaned boy, Remi, recognizing his vulnerability. Following her mother's early death, Etiennette assumed responsibility for her younger siblings—Alexis, Benjamin, and the mute Lise—demonstrating reliability, independence, and nurturing care. She became a steady presence, viewed as a "cool big sis" figure within the family and treated Remi with the same affection as her biological siblings.

When a catastrophic hailstorm destroyed their greenhouse, ruining Pierre Acquin financially, he was imprisoned for debt. This forced the family's separation, with the children sent to extended relatives. None could take Remi. Etiennette and her siblings fiercely advocated for Remi's inclusion as part of the family, but economic constraints prevented it. Etiennette was sent to live with an aunt; her subsequent whereabouts remain unspecified.