Family sits down to remember the joyful life of Nikolai Hanson

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. He was the youngest of five children and the first child Natalie and her husband, Justin, had together.

"He's just a spunky kid. A super sweet kid. Heart of gold," Natalie said.

"You're not supposed to say this, but he was my favorite," said Nikolai's sister, Gianna Buelow.

Nikolai's mom and sister love talking about him, but this is the first time they have done so publicly.

"Whenever I'm sad, whenever I'm having a bad day, I'm just like, 'Ask me about him,'" Gianna said.

Nikolai loved soccer and Lionel Messi. He even celebrated goals like him. He played baseball, snowboarded, learned to ride a bike at a young age and often hunted zombies in imaginative play. He liked to sing and dance to Benson Boone. He wrestled with his brothers and was always 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, he was a little caretaker and had no fear and was super brave," Natalie said.

On Nov. 21, 2024, it was a cold, snowy morning. The family was driving down their long, winding driveway to drop Nikolai and his brother off at the school bus.

At the end of the driveway, both boys got out. But for some reason, possibly to brush snow off the SUV, Nikolai walked in front of the vehicle.

No one saw him there. The SUV pulled forward, knocking him to the ground and running 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," Gianna said.

"I laid with him for a long time," Natalie said. "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 determined it was a tragic 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 devastated 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," Gianna said. "That's mostly how I connect to him."

Staying connected to Nikolai and keeping his memory alive is what keeps the family going.

They passed out bookmarks on the first anniversary of his death. They're starting a soccer scholarship in his name and hosted games in his honor on what would have been his 10th birthday.

There is also a tree and a commemorative brick at the Glendale Little League complex honoring him.

If you ever get the chance to ask about Nikolai, his family hopes you will.

"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," Natalie said.

"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," Natalie said.