You may know Nick Hagelin — or more precisely, may have heard Nick Hagelin — from his impressive 2016 run on “The Voice.” The Atlanta singer/songwriter was eliminated from the competition just before the semi-finals but not before introducing audiences to his 6-year-old son, Bash, who has a rare genetic disorder and a story that has inspired many families with children with special needs. Hagelin is now hoping to raise awareness of another disorder, Alzheimer’s, which claimed the lives of his grandfather and grandmother-in-law. On May 6, he will participate in Dancing Stars of Atlanta, a fundraiser mirrored after the popular TV show. Don’t count Hagelin out of the ballroom dance competition — he was a professional ballet dancer before he started making music. The AJC caught up with Hagelin in upstate New York where he was performing at a local charity event with “The Voice” alum Bryan Bautista.
Q: What brought you to Atlanta?
A: I grew up in New Jersey and moved to Raleigh as a professional with Carolina Ballet. I also met my wife, Christina, there. I have always loved music and during that time, I started doing a lot of open mics. I moved here to try to get a major label record deal and signed with Interscope Records. Atlanta has been a wonderful launching pad for my music career. This is also where my son was born and we have major roots here now.
Q: What is your son’s condition?
A: Bash has arthrogryposis, basically stiff joints and weak muscles. We were told he might never walk or feed himself. He is doing incredibly well — running, walking and feeding himself. He has become quite a beacon of hope and a healing inspiration for many people, especially since Pharrell Williams invited him out on stage.
Q: Let’s talk about your relatives with Alzheimer’s.
A: My grandfather was wonderful — he would spend hours in the backyard throwing baseballs for me to hit. When I was probably around 8 or 9, his health started to deteriorate. He always remembered me, and I was always grateful for that, but he had major confusion. I know it was harder on the adult caregivers like my mom, her sister and my grandmother. He was put in Alzheimer's ward of a nursing home. With my grandmother-in-law, she became extremely forgetful and confused and sometimes displayed attributes that were very out of character, such as not being as nice as she used to be. It was really hard, especially on her husband. She died in October.
Q: How does having Alzheimer’s on both sides of your family affect you?
A: It leaves you feeling a little helpless. One of the scary things is the lack of information or understanding about what causes Alzheimer's or what I can do to prevent this from happening to my kids, my parents or me.
Q: Why did you want to be part of Dancing Stars of Atlanta?
A: Raising money to support research and adult caregivers really spoke to me. The research is obviously so important. But especially being a father with a special needs child, I know what it is like to need every resource and the extra help. Just to have someone come in and give a caregiver a break makes all the difference in the world.
Q: Are you looking forward to the competition?
A: My partner, Leah Boresow, has choreographed this awesome salsa dance. I have never really done ballroom or salsa but I have some cool jumps and spins that I think will blow people away. A lot of the people we are competing against will raise a lot more money than me. But I am probably one of the youngest participants, which is nice because I can raise awareness and bring a new generation of eyes to the issue.
Q: Should people your age be concerned about Alzheimer’s.
A: A lot of us are going to learn about it with our parents. If we aren't thinking about it now, I am sure we will be soon.
Dancing Stars of Atlanta
Thirteen local Atlanta community leaders and celebrities will pair up with ballroom dancers to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter. The dance-off will take place Saturday, May 6, 5:30 p.m., at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The fundraiser will help Georgians with the disease and their families and caregivers. You can vote for your favorite dance pair and purchase tickets to the event by visiting www.dancingstarsofatlanta.com. For more information, contact Larrica Hubbard, event organizer, at 404-728-6057 or lhubbard@alz.org.
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