Support for the Nieboer Family

Hello Friends and Family,

This GoFundMe has been set up to help the Nieboer Family as they prepare for the impending death of Nicolas Nieboer. Any donations will go towards funeral expenses, and the rest will go towards paying off medical bills and supporting the family during the bereavement process. If you would rather send a check, please contact Josie Nieboer for this request. 

Nicolas is an incredibly strong person who has been a bright light and inspiration to us all. He has had a more difficult life than most. He was born with spina-bifida leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He has endured 12 surgeries since. However, he never let this get in the way of anything he wanted to do. He was incredibly active and had a promising wheelchair basketball career. He loved watching almost every sport there is, but his favorite was Michigan football. He always looked forward to Saturdays in the fall when his extended family would get together at his grandparents to watch the Michigan game.

As Nick grew, so did his battle with anxiety. This was a much harder obstacle to get around. Nick loved people and yet the trauma he experienced from his surgeries as a child left a psychological imprint that was difficult to erase. This affected his ability to receive a full education, continue playing competitive basketball, and socialize as he would have liked. However, he still found a way to stay active through hand cycling. Instead of just making it a hobby, he gave 110% towards the sport (just like he does with everything else in his life). His determination brought him to the Boston Marathon in 2019 where he finished the race in the top 25 despite his anxiety and having a tumble. He and his family have always been so proud of this accomplishment.

Another part of Nick that made him unique was his love for people. Nick had the most compassionate heart for others despite his circumstances. He had such a positive attitude and loved making new friends. For this reason he was an inspiration to so many people, including local collegiate teams (Western Michigan Broncos and Kalamazoo College Hornets) where he became an honorary teammate. He would frequently workout with the players and accompany them to their practices and games as he was a great motivator for them. Some of Nick’s favorite memories were with these players as they treated him just like any other teammate.

It was unfortunate when Nick was diagnosed with B-cell Lymphoma Stage 3 cancer in April last year. He persevered through four week long chemo rounds, still biking, working out, and supporting his teammates in between treatments. While they thought the cancer was no longer active, it returned only a few short months later as stage 4. He was then sent to DeVos Children’s Hospital for a more specialized treatment, which unfortunately was unsuccessful. Nick enjoyed a nice trip to Florida with some family before finding out the cancer had traveled up his spine and into his brain, growing at an exponential rate with no more treatment options to keep up with it.

Nick is home under hospice care with his parents working around the clock to take care of him. He has had so many visitors come and encourage him and his family. They are humbled by how many people have been willing to come along side them during this difficult time. Fortunately, for Nick, his pain and suffering is almost done and he will soon enjoy the glories of heaven with his Lord and Savior, where he will be playing football rather than just watching it.

Thank you to everyone in advance who will be contributing to the needs of this family.

God Bless.