'All you want to do is talk about them': River Hills family honors memory of 8-year-old killed in freak accident
RIVER HILLS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- After an accident in River Hills claimed a young boy's life far too soon, his family is doing all they can to keep his legacy alive.
Nikolai James Hanson was born June 12, 2016. The youngest of five kids, the first for Natalie and her husband, Justin, together.
Nikolai Hanson
"He's just a spunky kid. A super sweet kid. Heart of gold," said Natalie.
"You're not supposed to say this, but he was my favorite," said Gianna Buelow, Nikolai's sister.
Nikolai's mom and sister love to talk about him, but it's the first time they've done so publicly.
"Whenever I'm sad, whenever I'm having a bad day, I'm just like, 'ask me about him,'" said Gianna.
Natalie and Gianna Hanson
Nikolai loved soccer and Lionel Messi. He knew how to celebrate like him, too. He played baseball and snowboarded, rode a bike super early and hunted zombies often. He liked to sing and dance to Benson Boone. He'd wrestle with his brothers and be the first to hug his sister.
"There would be moments that I was struggling and no one else would see it and he would come to my room and say, "Do you need a hug?'" Gianna said.
"From right away was a little caretaker and had no fear and was super brave," said Natalie.
Nov. 21, 2024, it was a cold, snow, and nasty morning. The family car, a big SUV, drove down the long, winding driveway to drop Nikolai and his brother off for the school bus. At the end of the driveway, both boys got out. But for some reason, maybe to playfully brush off the snow-covered SUV, Nikolai went around the front.
Nikolai Hanson
No one saw him there. The SUV pulled forward, knocked him to the ground and ran him over.
Nikolai was rushed to Children's Wisconsin but died on the way.
"They tell us in this little room that he didn't make it. And just my whole world crashed down," Natalie said.
"My dad said the words, he told me, 'Your brother is dead.' And I just froze," said Gianna.
Natalie Hanson
"I laid with him for a long time," said Natalie. "I didn't even really know what was happening. They were getting me out of the room to go home. I was just in shock because I think I would've laid there forever."
A police investigation confirmed it was a terrible accident.
Nikolai James Hanson was 8 years old.
"He's come to me in dreams a couple times and I'm so thankful but then so devasted because it's not enough," Natalie said. "Nothing will ever be enough. The signs are wonderful but they're not enough."
"I have this right here with his ashes in it and his fingerprint on it. I have this tattoo with his handwriting," said Gianna said. "That's mostly how I connect to him."
Staying connected to Nikolai, and keeping his name alive, is what keeps the family going.
They passed out bookmarks on his first angelversary. They're starting a soccer scholarship in his name and hosted games in his honor for his 10th birthday.
There is a tree and brick at the Glendale little league complex honoring him. And if you ever get the chance to ask about Nikolai, or talk about him, do it.
"When you lose someone, all you want to do is talk about them. It will never upset me if somebody asks me about him. If someone wants to hear a story or his favorite color or what he was like -- that will never upset me. I might tear up, but it's happy tears because I get to remember him," said Natalie.
"He was always so empathetic and always so protective over all of us. I just want to remind him that I'm still doing OK," Gianna said.
"I think we are okay and we're not okay. We're just figuring out how to keep going," said Natalie.
