Footprints in the sand

|Landenberg Life| |Landenberg People|

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The story of Landenberg native Mitchell Bacot is one of hardship but more powerfully, it is also one of hope, determination, faith and the love of family and friends

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

There is an aged brown book in the upstate New York home where Mitchell Bacot lives with his wife Jenamarie that documents the first chapters of a long journey that Mitchell has been on since he was a young boy growing up in Landenberg.

The book was written by his mother Karen Bacot, and it records in copious detail the arduous and often painful chapter markers that saw young Mitchell go from doctor to doctor, from appointment to appointment, and from hospital to hospital.

On Sept. 13, 1994, Mitchell, then a soccer player at Avon Grove Middle School, visited the nurse for a physical in order to be allowed to play sports. Later that day, the school nurse called Mitchell’s mother to inform her that Mitchell’s blood pressure was severely elevated.

Within days, Mitchell surrendered to several tests and appointments, including an echocardiogram at the A.I. Children’s Hospital in Wilmington that revealed abnormalities.

Even with all of the needed medical attention, he continued to play soccer and had dreams of playing at a professional level that eventually were let go when the diagnosis became real: Mitchell was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), a rare genetic condition usually diagnosed in young adults that affects one in 25,000 to 40,000 people.

NF2 can cause a variety of symptoms and complications, including hearing loss as well as problems with balance and swallowing. Among the most serious is a predisposition to develop certain types of tumors in the brain and spine.

During that time, Karen said that she had compiled a stack of MRI diagnoses that approached a foot thick, and also met with many doctors.

Photo by Amelia Hamilton

Landenberg native Mitchell Bacot with his wife Jenamarie and their children.

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“When we first heard the term ‘Neurofibromatosis Type 2,’ our response was, ‘What is that?’” she said. “We had to do our own research and read about it and try to understand what the best options were. It was a lot of seeking and searching in trying to find the best doctors, and it also came with a lot of prayers.”

By the time he graduated from Avon Grove High School in 1999, Mitchell had almost entirely lost his hearing, but that fall, he entered Gallaudet University near Washington, D.C., one of the only American Sign Language (ASL) centered colleges for the Deaf. There was yet another hurdle for him to climb: he arrived on campus without knowing much of ASL.

Despite his setbacks and challenges, Mitchell began his studies at Gallaudet, transferred to Drexel University and later to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where he graduated with a BS in Mathematics. He then earned a Master of Science in Secondary Education for the Deaf from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and became a Mathematics teacher at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at RIT following graduation.

‘I was drawn to him’

On Nov. 6, 2005, Jenamarie’s mother, who was earning her teaching degree at RIT, sponsored a study session at her house and invited some of her fellow students. Among them was Mitchell Bacot.

“I knew from that day he was interested in me, and I was in the middle of getting over a heartbreak, so I didn’t want to get back into a relationship just yet,” said Jenamarie, who was living with her mother at the time. “But Mitchell’s countenance is very gentle, calm and comforting to be around, and when I heard his story, I was fascinated by his willingness to take on this new world.

“I was drawn to him, and eventually, we decided to begin a relationship.”

Continued on Page 12 Mitchell Bacot and one of his children.

Photo courtesy of the Bacot family

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On Aug. 8, 2007, they were married and despite his condition – one that required several brain surgeries – Mitchell became a father to six children, maintained his independence, became involved with his church community, worked full time at NTID and was an active and present father to his children.

NF2, however, continued to do damage to Mitchell’s body and on Jan. 21, 2021, his independence was being challenged. Several surgeries later, he has had to reconstruct his life, his marriage and his fatherhood from a motorized wheelchair.

“Mitchell walks through his storms very calmly,” Jenamarie said. “Through the grace and power of God, Mitchell has a very strong faith, and his relationship with Christ is what keeps him going, and it’s God’s grace that sustains him.”

Despite a steady schedule of intensive physical and occupational therapy, he experiences numbness from head to toe, and is struggling with severely limited mobility and dexterity, and because of his mounting medical concerns, Mitchell has not been able to return to his teaching position at NTID.

Mitchell’s condition was also exacerbated by two functional disparities in his every day life: a bathroom he could not access and a van that could not fit both his powerchair and 6 children. The family car was no longer large enough to accommodate his motorized wheelchair, and the wheelchair was too heavy to manually lift.

Therapy for Mitchell is also rolled into play time with his children.

Mitchell Bacot and his children.

Photos courtesy of the Bacot family

In order for Mitchell to be able to be involved in family’s activities, attend community events and church, watch his kids play soccer games or go to a school event, the Bacots needed a larger vehicle with wheelchair access and a lift.

The cost of purchasing a used vehicle large enough to be able to fit eight people and a 350-pound power chair would be close to $50,000 -- and upgrading to an accessible bathroom was estimated to cost between $15,000 and $30,000.

‘I have never met a family more deserving of support’

Judith A. Molner, an American Sign Language Interpreter at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester and a friend of Mitchell and Jenamarie, established a Go Fund Me account this past summer.

“The spirit of the Bacot family is magnificently kind and loving, and I feel compelled to help in whatever way I can, to support them as they face some profound challenges in the weeks and months to come,” Molner wrote in her appeal. “I can honestly say that I’ve never met a family more deserving of support and generosity from the wider community of friends, near and far. This family brings the most loving and kind spirit out into the world, and all of our spirits are enriched and heightened by their presence.”

To date, with over 125 individual contributions ranging from $10 to $1,000, the account has raised nearly $18,000. Many more donations to help this need were given through the mail, venmo or paypal and a love offering was collected from their church that raised an additional $25,000.

Thanks to these contributions, the Bacot family purchased its new vehicle in October, and the renovations to the master bathroom, while nearly complete, now allow Mitchell to have full access.

“When Judith and a few of our other friends mentioned to us about creating an account, I was hesitant to do it again, because we created an account four years ago to prepare for one of Mitchell’s brain surgeries in California,” Jenamarie said. “When we realized how much a new van and a new bathroom was going to cost, however, we decided that we would do it again and I asked Judith if she would be willing to head start that.

“I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of this community. In a good way, everyone has been so generous to our family.”

“It’s been touching about how many people we have met and the miracles we have seen through all of this,” Karen said. “It has become the shining light and the people’s love has been very rich.”

Footprints in the sand

It is not likely that the massive motorized wheelchair will ever vanish from Mitchell Bacot’s life, and the many

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tests, surgeries, results and revelations will likely continue to document his medical journey. What hits Jenamarie hardest is when she sees her husband apologize for what he is unable to do for his wife and his children, such as a visit to the pumpkin patch last fall, when one of their sons got temporarily lost in the corn maze and Mitchell knew that he could not attempt to find him.

“When Mitchell and I made our vows before God, we said ‘For Better or Worse,’” Jenamarie said. “We are only given this moment, and that’s all we get, and I can spend my time being sad and wondering about the future, or I can spend this time saying ‘Wow, Lord, thank you. Thank you that we get to see the changing colors of the seasons. Thank you for allowing us to do things as a family again. Thank you that Mitchell is able to see, and that his mind is sharp and clear.’

“Recently, when talking to our son Hezekiah, Mitchell said something along the lines of, ‘This is hard, but Jesus is helping me through it and I will have victory.’”

Photo by Amelia Hamilton

Mitchell and Jenamarie Bacot were married on Aug. 8, 2007.

During brain surgery in California last June, Mitchell asked Jenamarie to type out a story for him to share for a future presiding assignment at church. It was the famous “Footprints in the Sand” verse, in which the author questions why in his darkest moments he saw only his own footprints in the sand, but learned instead that it was God’s footprints carrying him.

“Sometimes Mitchell feels as if he is walking through this journey alone, but he is not,” Jenamarie said. “God is carrying him through it.”

To learn more about Mitchell and Jenamarie Bacot and make your donation, visit https//www.gofundme. com/Fundraiser for Jenamarie Bacot by Judith A. Molner: Give Bacot Family a Wheelchair Accessible Life!

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@ chestercounty.com.