Nathan Olson

Nathan Olson gained freedom from his earthly body on August 7,
2015. Nate was born in Macomb County on October 12, 1985, toa
family unable to care for him. His future adoptive mother met him in
1988 while he was in foster care, and it was love at first sight. His
adoption was finalized in 1990 and he officially became Nathan Patrick
Olson,

Nate grew up in Indian River. He had special needs his whole life, and
received his education at Inland Lakes Schools in both general and
special education, and later at Cheboygan High School, where he
attended a special needs classroom, Many wonderful people had the
privilege of serving Nate over the years – teachers, paraprofessionals,
therapists, bus drivers and aides, doctors, members of his health care
team, and respite providers. Even though Nate was fully dependent
and nonverbal, he was a powerful presence in his family, his church,
and his community. He was a lifelong teacher. We are lucky to have
been blessed by his life! He brought out the best in us.

In 2003, after 18 years and countless tests, Nate was diagnosed with
Rett Syndrome. Rett Syndrome is an extremely debilitating

disorder that almost exclusively affects girls. Somewhere between 6
and 18 months, a little girl who has been developing normally begins
to regress, losing speech, hand skills, and developing a host of
problems that can include seizures, swallowing difficulty, respiratory
issues, dystonia, and scoliosis. A male, who survives, like Nate, will be
severely affected. The disease is devastating, but research is
promising and there is real hope for better treatment and a cure.

Nate is survived by his Mom, Kris, of Indian River, Mi.; his
brother Ben, sister-in-law Denise, and nephew Benjamin Roy of
Huntington Beach, CA; his Grandpa, Roy Olson, of Gladstone, Mi.; his
uncles John (Kwanae), Scott, Brian (Hazel), and his Aunt Beth (Bill);
many awesome cousins; and a special friend Shirley Ronk. He was
preceded in death by his grandma, Marion Olson, and his biological
nephew Micah, who passed away last year from complications of Rett
Syndrome.

There are no services planned for Nate at this time, Anyone
wishing to honor his memory is encouraged to consider a donation to
the Rett Syndrome Organization or the Rett Syndrome Research Trust,
www. rettsyndrome.org, or www.rsrt.org.