Bay Village high schooler honored with Naismith Courage Award
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio (BVM) — Michael Beauchesne is a junior varsity basketball player at Bay High School. The rising junior suffers from Mowat-Wilson syndrome, a rare disorder which only a couple hundred people have. However, despite his challenges, Michael still plays basketball, and got to officially suit up for a game over the winter. Now, he has a prestigious award to his name as well.
The 16-year-old has been involved with sports throughout his life, including soccer, track, and flag football, but it has been in a different capacity than most athletes. Mowat-Wilson syndrome is a rare disorder which affects nearly every part of Michael’s body, creates intellectual disability that limits him to about 150 words and causes prominent seizures overnight while sleeping.
For many years, Michael’s parents, Shaun and Jen, frustratingly could not figure out what exactly the teenager had. The parents tried test after test, but the lack of definitive results continued to puzzle everyone involved.
“It was frustrating because we tried everything. Michael was tested and hospitalized for years; we didn’t realize the pieces of the puzzle were so complicated,” Shaun said.
One of the toughest parts of the disease among the many complications it causes are the seizures that Michael suffers. He has had seizures while awake in the past, which causes him to stop breathing. Thankfully, the 16-year-old has not suffered a seizure while awake for several years now.
However, Michael suffers from seizures most nights when he sleeps, and as Shaun equates it, it’s essentially like he is suffering a traumatic brain injury each night. As a toddler, Michael was able to do things others could at his age such as counting and identifying colors. But the constant seizures led him to decline, which continues to this day.
For a family of six, Michael’s needs have posed challenges, but taking care of him has also been rewarding. It was made slightly easier when the family finally found out he had Mowat-Wilson syndrome about six years ago. There are only around 200 cases officially documented of the disease, and when Shaun found out what his son had, it was both a surprise and a relief.
“It was total shock, but at the same time relief,” Shaun said about his reaction to finding out what Michael had. “Once we got the diagnosis, it helped a ton because we finally had a community.”
Although he continues to face challenges everyday, Michael is able to inspire through his actions and energy. Arguably one of the most frustrating parts of this syndrome is the limited ability to speak, but that doesn’t stop the teenager from being social and putting smiles on the faces of others.
“He’s a happy, social, loving young man. He’s incredibly empathetic to peoples’ feelings and always knows what’s going on in someone’s soul,” Shaun said.
Despite these daily challenges he endures, Michael remarkably still lives parts of an everyday life as a teenager through school and sports. He fits in with the rest of his siblings, as the Beauchesnes are a sports family through and through.
Shaun and Jen’s youngest son is involved in a variety of sports including football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, and fencing. Their 19-year-old daughter is a lacrosse player who has played hockey, basketball, cross country, and track and has lettered in each sport. Their oldest daughter is a two-time all-state swimmer.
The kids all support each other within sports and outside of them, and it has helped to keep Michael active as well. As a part of the Bay High School junior varsity basketball team, Michael’s participation is usually limited to attending practices. But this January, playing against Elyria Catholic, the sophomore finally got his chance to play in a game.
The special moment almost did not happen for Michael due to inflammation of his joints that made him unable to walk just days before the contest, but thankfully he progressed past it by game time. Organized by Bay coach Jared Shetzer and Elyria coach Rob Palmer – who also started one of his players who has autism – Michael got the start in what was a thrilling moment for both he and his parents.
“You could tell he was into it and knew exactly what to do and I was just bawling my eyes out. There are two moments that really stand out to me regarding how proud he was. After they took him out he sat on the bench looking around the stands and I know he was thinking, ‘I hope my mom and dad were here to see that,’” Shaun said.
The parents typically have to hide themselves during games because if Michael sees them he will run right over to them. But Shaun was still able to capture the moment on camera and when the family finally got to convene after the game, the second moment that stood out for Shaun occurred.
“When he came up out of the locker room and saw us he came up those steps as fast as he could and hugged us and was smiling and being silly. It was just fantastic,” Shaun continued.
It’s a touching moment that was graciously allowed by Elyria Catholic, but also coach Shetzer and Bay High School. Bay Village as a whole has always been very accepting of Michael, and Shaun and Jen appreciate all they have done to accommodate him.
“The community of Bay Village just embraces Michael. We moved here from a community that was very different. The schools have gone to bat for Michael and the high school has done an amazing job. As Jen said previously, this affects everybody positively. By including somebody with special needs, we’re changing the lives of other people,” Shaun expressed.
Michael certainly is having a positive impact on others, and it was recognized this spring as he became the inaugural winner of the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Courage Award on the boys side.
The 16-year-old was nominated by coach Shetzer initially, and Shaun and Jen were not even aware he had done so until the final five candidates for the award were announced. With over 1,000 applicants, Michael winning the award may have seemed like a long shot at first, but his truly remarkable story prevailed.
For a sports family, they know how significant of an honor this was, and Shaun is tremendously proud of his son. He found out Michael had won the award during a business meeting that he had to step away from due to the tears of joy he had.
“My kids learned how to write numbers by filling out brackets so I know sports and I know the Naismith Award. I had to excuse myself from the meeting I was in and was crying. It was just emotional and really cool,” Shaun said.
A video of Michael’s story was created just hours before Ohio government put a stay-at-home order in place due to COVID-19.
The video was originally scheduled to be released during the men’s basketball Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in early April, and a banquet was scheduled to be held as well, but would unfortunately be canceled.
Despite that, it does not take away from the prestigious honor, or Michael’s incredible story. He is an impressive kid that has gone through more than most of us ever will, and Shaun credits those he has around him for continuing to make his story special.
“He goes because of the team that’s around him. That’s a community team and a family team and it’s a reciprocal relationship. He gets a lot out of it and we get a lot out of it. But he works hard, and it’s really inspiring,” Shaun added.
The family hopes to continue to share Michael’s story with as many people as they can and are humbled by the attention this award has garnered. They hope his story will continue to influence others who come across it, and as noted by Shaun, Michael’s life, though difficult, is also a true blessing.
“When Michael walks into a room, the presence of God walks with him, and for that we should all feel fortunate.”
