By Paul Hathcoat
meet
Mitch
Bonar
Have you ever met someone who is so obviously different in all of the right ways that you are simultaneously nervous to be around them but also feel compelled to stay in their proximity and learn more about what makes them, well, them? We have all experienced this phenomenon, which may or may not have a name but can be felt and distinguished from other events and people in our lives. In the context of this article, I call it “Meeting Mitch.” Let’s get to know this young man in order to uncover why meeting him was such an eye-opening experience for me, just as it has been for so many others. Mitch Bonar is currently a 24-year-old college senior attending Indiana Wesleyan University, pursuing a degree in community development, with a focus on global ministry. That is impressive in itself, even before we get to know the struggles and challenges that Mitch has overcome to get to where he is today. His story begins like so many others in the disability community, with a series of diagnoses that point toward a lifetime of challenges and setbacks aimed at derailing what could be an exemplary and choice-based existence. Mitch was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a young child and found everyday tasks such as tying his shoes, walking with balance, and anything to do with eye-hand coordination a real test. Mitch saw a speech therapist early in his school years to address the speech and hearing issues that made it difficult for him to learn and interact with the world. At 16, Mitch was diagnosed with mitochondrial dysfunction, which is characterized by symptoms such as muscle weakness, vision/hearing problems, learning disabilities, delays in development, and often, a lack of energy at a cellular level, which puts him at risk for muscle and heart ailments as well. Top that off with a diagnosis of autism at the age of 18 and Mitch had every right to be a lifelong victim of his conditions. But Mitch had different plans for his impact on the world and God’s Kingdom. Despite his disabilities, Mitch has not only survived but thrived, and impacted his community. In school, Mitch, like many students who are different from the mainstream, struggled. He struggled to fit in, he struggled to fend off bullies, and he struggled to find extracurricular activities that matched his desires and talents and connected him to his peers. Thankfully, Noblesville High School and local churches and organizations had options for Mitch. He became involved in unified sports, played basketball in the Special Olympics, joined a sports league at White River Christian Church, and began to develop a sense of belonging and community. Mitch says that through these sports competitions and relationships he was able to show others that “I’m like you and you’re like me.” In these high school and early college years, Mitch developed his leadership and public speaking skills as an advocate for inclusion and Christ-centered mindsets. He was asked to speak at his high school graduation ceremony and chose to use that opportunity to relay the importance of inclusion and accepting people for who they are, no matter their perceived differences. After that speech, one of Mitch’s former bullies messaged him
12 Special Needs Living • September 2021
