Celebrating the life of Nicholas Brandon Henderson

Nicholas Brandon Henderson was born on February 11, 2000. He lived for 23 years until he went to be with the Lord on October 21, 2023. We are overcome with emotion as we grieve the loss of our beloved Son, Brother, Nephew, Cousin, and Friend. Nick loved people and touched many hearts, minds and lives. Over the past two weeks we have heard from friends far and wide- Nick's reach was vast. He was a great CrossFit coach. His humor as well as love for the fitness community will never be forgotten. Nick will be deeply missed by all who knew him. While we are grieving Nick's loss, we are also rejoicing and celebrating his life and all the lives that he so profoundly touched.

Nick was injured in a serious accident on October 5, 2023. He was walking along the road when a vehicle struck him. The vehicle that struck Nick stopped briefly, but then continued on into the night. We do not have all the details on the accident, but we do know that Nick's life was forever changed on that day.

Nick was life-flighted to University Hospitals Main Campus in downtown Cleveland. After multiple MRIs and CAT scans, Nick had a diagnosis of DAI, Grade 3, which is a serious, traumatic brain injury. During these long days and nights, Nick's care was directed by earth angels. The doctors and nurses in this hospital became our friends as well as shoulders to cry on. Nick had a very serious brain injury, yet parts of his body continued to remain strong. He wished to be an organ donor and we tried to honor his wishes. Nick's Dad flew to Cleveland, Ohio from Las Vegas, Nevada on day one. Nick's Mom visited for a couple days and then returned to care for Nick's siblings. He could not move, or see or communicate. We prayerfully considered Nick and prayed for guidance along the way. We kept going back to what Nick would want. On Day 12 Nick was moved to home hospice at Grandma and Grandpa's farm in Deerfield, Ohio. Nick always loved the being at the farm. He was well cared for during his final 3 days on earth.

When Nick was still in High School, he became CrossFit Level 1 certified, and continued to pursue CrossFit coaching and training. Nick is known and respected in the CrossFit community, especially in Las Vegas, Nevada. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to create Crossfit Level 1 scholarships. The scholarship will be for high school student athletes that have a dream to pursue CrossFit certification and don’t have the financial means. In addition, the family will be working with other CrossFit gyms to create yearly Birthday WOD (Workout of Day)s in honor and memory of Nick.

One of my favorite stories about Nick took place when he was 7 years old. His teacher told him about impoverished children in Guatemala, Central America. These children were so poor that some of them did not even have shoes. This affected Nick, and he knew he had to help. The teacher had told the students if they wanted to donate for children's shoes, to bring a donation the following day. That night, Nick told his Dad about the needy kids and his eagerness to help. He wanted to donate ALL the change in his piggy bank, which was between 10 and 20 dollars. His Dad asked him are you sure you don't want to keep any money back for your self. Nick was sure he wanted it ALL to go to the kids. This was Nick's generous nature and giving spirit.

This GoFundMe page is established in honor of Nick. The family intends to set up a scholarship fund to help High School students wishing to pursue CrossFit. Also, the family will donate to missionaries serving in Guatemala, with a note about Nick's story.

Additionally, donations will help the family with multiple flights back and forth between Ohio and Nevada. Already, thousands of dollars have been spent in travel expenses. Tommy has been off work since October 6. Many people have asked how they can help, this is an opportunity.

Memorial service arrangements are currently being planned for Saturday, October 28, 2023 at Touch Heaven; 10 Skyline Drive in Canfield, Ohio 44406 12 noon 

Please feel free to share any photos you have of Nick below https://photos.app.goo.gl/aEGP3MuC5DsL3vMv8

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for our family and provided so much support during this most difficult time. We are overcome with gratitude and appreciation. We never knew how strong our community is or how loved our Nick actually was. Thank you for donating to the family, in honor of Nick.