Micah Magnusson

Haslett, Michigan

Micah Magnusson loved football, working with his hands and being in the outdoors. A devout Christian, he planned to attend Moody Bible Institute and become a youth pastor.

Friends remembered him this week as a young man with spirit, heart and a determination to fight back from the May 2007 brain bleed that left him paralyzed and unable to speak.

“There are times he was pretty grumpy. He was frustrated,” said Charlie Otlewski, who coached Micah on the Haslett High School football team and is a family friend. “(Yet), to be able to handle it the way he did, he would still continue to fight and try to improve.”

Magnusson, 23, died Wednesday of complications from his condition. Magnusson, the third of Dale and Sherrie Magnusson’s five children, suffered a brain bleed May 29, 2007, the day his graduation open house was scheduled. It was caused by an arteriovenous malformation, an abnormal collection of blood cells in the brain. Magnusson was in a coma until October 2007 and then began the long road toward rehabilitation, surrounded by his family and many friends.

An army of volunteers from the Haslett community, Trinity Church in Lansing and New Hope Church in Haslett helped the Magnussons with laundry, cooking, carpooling and more. His family kept his supporters updated with hundreds of posts over the years on CarePages, an Internet site. They pulled out every medical stop and encouraged thousands of people to pray with them.

“Few people had such an impact on so many,” said Joni Rainbolt, whose son, Adam, was friends with Micah. She helped organize fundraisers and create a book, “When Suffering Comes to Your Door,” with Sherrie Magnusson. “Micah and his family affected so many of us spiritually.”

Dale and Sherrie Magnusson were unceasing in their quest to find treatments to help their son improve. He spent time in a rehab hospital in Nebraska and was treated in a hyperbaric chamber. Dale Magnusson even built a steel cage in the family’s living room so therapists could strap Micah into a special suit attached to bungee cords inside the cage to help him learn the movements needed to walk again.

“They left no stone unturned ,” Otlewski said.

At first, Magnusson could only answer yes-or-no questions, moving his blue eyes up to indicate a “yes” and down to say “no.” Before his death, he was using a motorized wheelchair he operated with his left hand and attending a class at Great Lakes Christian College.

Rainbolt said although Magnusson was not able to attend Moody, his devotion to rehab and his deep faith was inspiring.“He has just touched everybody’s lives,” she said. “I think he will continue to do so.”She said a second book is in production.

Proceeds from “When Suffering Comes to Your Door” were used to establish a college scholarship for a Haslett High School football player. Magnusson awarded the first scholarship himself in 2009. The family is requesting that people donate to that fund in lieu of flowers.

Otlewski said there will be a moment of silence at Friday’s football game in honor of Magnusson as well as Emily Rapson, a Haslett High student who died earlier this summer.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, August 25, 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Church, 3355 Dunckel Rd., Lansing, with visitation one hour prior to the service. A light lunch will follow the service.

The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing. On line condolences may be at www.greastlansing.com.