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vjfc bylisaqueen staff writer ne year ago jonathan r wamback woke up j with the kind of youth- r enthusiasm that comes with knowing summer is endless and your future is golden classes over for another year the grade 9 student at i newmarket high school was off j tojjpper canada mall in search a summer job f his mo trier lozarihe dropped him off i had a feeling i had to say to jhifh honey becarefulm said- that a lot she said s he was walking away from die carbut i felt i habvto say to y be careful he saidmohv dont worry i can take care of myself j jonathan put in an applica- tioh at sears although he latere told hisgrahdmdther he thought hescored a job at a newmarket restaurant j it was a step toward indepen- dehce an important move for a young man who had grown up sunder the eye of two lovingbut overprotective parents ilifewasgood for the popular 15yearbld summer was here fa drivers licencewas only six vnonths away he liad a girlfriend tbfis of friends and the possibility joa summer job that would pro- work himself im just there to steadyhim y t jsv5 unwilling to go outside in his wheelchair determined to- venture into the neighbourhood only when he- can walk jonathan spends his days indoors with his mom unless they have an appointment while friends visit its not the same for a teenager who longs to be hanging out with riis pals he wants to be independent he doesnt want anybody to help him do anything his father joe said thats his goal just to be nor mal again just tdbe regular i in themorning- jonathan pfays ontke computer or watch- estv v- j r his afternoons arecbnsumed with physiotherapy occupation- al therapy educational therapy and speech therapy t its probably been the worst r year of my life and the best year of my life jonathan says asjie takes a break from playing on the computer tuesday night j the worsf is understandable buf how could a year filled with terror andpain be thebest- in his life because i found out who my true friends are jonathan said staff photosteve somjrvillv found put my parents really joe and lozannetyarnback are thankful their son is aliveand they y t have takin lea to chan la would makeyiolent ft slsteredyitedavfor idehim withmoneytobuya joung offenders more accountable for tnewsetofgdltclubs 7 ofingthecentre f attention declinedjto posejor the photo- hes determined- to walk to his- janjaccomplishedgolferwith efadht s r v f a sjeven handicap jonathan was t set toplayin ithebuick- junior viatmemwjheought thev be identified under the young golf tour bejhg held worstthat would happen was offenders act is scheduled for at4numerous coursesvar6undhed wake up with october classes this fall i joe and lozanne credit a number of influences with sav ing their son jonathans fierce determination their faith in his f the first anniversary of recovery and meoverelniirig l southern ontario s v headache l 1 r- loaay uienrst anniversary or recoveryanaoieoverwneiming- j that evening jonatiiahwan- ibutjonathan didnt wake up attack jonathan still wakes support frorn residents of york v tdered over keri sturgeon park the next morning t up with enthusiasm for the sum- regipjri and acrosscanada s across the street frorrihis home in fact that nighthe had a merandhisfuture our lives are changed inex- tin r newmarkets v affluent seizure arid lapsed into a c6maj j rnakes newmarkets a affluent seizure arid lapsed into a cbmaj bud what a difference a year orably through iwhat i call a cata- x stonehaven neighbourhood that would last three months jnakes j j-x- stfophicevent joesaid z rthe was confrpntedbythree itwaswyerjonatlimiwas j jonathan is allowed to sleep in lean only describe what we youths near ttfiie public bath- at sick childrens hospital in because it helps repair thedevas- through as sheer terror iilfe ov ffieresnoomertwbfdsong ijthere was a loud argument teens parents about the beating fered j ehoudi v s aridafightro and there was more- s once awake his mother h d -ssffihsy- djonafiand physihelpshimget out bf ylg path toward his home been threatened several times by bed- 4 h i r 43flie attackers climbed into a k group of teenagers payback whuejdriathancantakeafew s ss t jgcafttarid hunted- for afterihecalledtherblice six steps lozahhe is at his sidetbv ywt c0 jjofiamfmdinghim -between- months earlienfofepbrt vboy keep him steadywhen he loses were the luckiest family in v two houses near the park who was vandalizing washrooms his balance vf p n p e 3 f although v jonathan was in the park t she helps him with his daily ajghtest hesitation in saying a severelyr6eafeh about- tfie rieadr v shortly 1 after jtke- beating iwashrbbrhvfitualsandtbget thatr- joe said v he managed to get home police arrested thrdeybuths and dressed before they head down- for a father tocomehome 1- hhecalled two friends and chargedthemwith attempted stairs 4 and see his son smile andhave astetfthem tb cbriie- over mufder m v- i have to help him but not as him say hi dadarid i canhbld v jpnafearitoldjaem later much hes getting stronger him and be with him given a lott beating but decided not to worry reduced to aggravated assault lozanne said v j of what we were faced wth im liis parents v thernfortheybuthswhocant hecaridothe majority of the the luckiest man in canada jrjwe 291999 lectexsr jonathanwamback15 is severely beaten after fleeing 1from youths who confronted him nearthepublic waslirdorns in ken sturgebnpark across 1he street from hisstonehaveh home wamback isabietojgethdrnev l where he collapsesinto unconsciousness he is taken to york county hospital and later transferred to the hospital n for sick children in toronto where he remains comatose oh life support he undergoes brain surgery i ii sathree teens who cannotbenamed under the young offenders act are charged with attempted murder j j juur6 j w f yj i r v york regional police meet with the newmarket crown attorney to discuss transferring two 17 year olds arid a 16 year old to adult court i v i the maximum ayouth can receiveon an attempted murder charge is three years plus two years probation the maximum adult sentence is 25 years a any 21 v j jonathans mother lozanne talks about the vigilshe and her husband joe have been keeping at their sons side- v 1 k jonathan is no longer in a deep coma he is moaning- and laughing he hasbeen moved out of the intensive care unit to pnvate room in the trauma ward j juiy28 iv s jk g x jonathan is transferred to bloorview macmillan centre in toronto where he will undergo extensive physical and occupational therapy as he slowly emerges from his coma v2 v nm2728 t cv joe wamback is the jeatured speakerat the national association of professional police officers annual conven tioh in ottawa where he delivered an hourlong speech descnbmg a victims perspective on youth violence jan 102000 jonathan and his parents hold a press conference at toronto police union headquarters to announce a petition to toughen the young offenders act the petition nowhas 400000 names and has become a national campaign also joining the fight are two otherfamilies whose lives fhavebeen forevertouched by violence- the parents of t dimitn matti baranovski the toronto teenkilled nov 14 andcalgarysmcgloanfamily whose son claytonwas murdered v t f jan15 r jonathan turns 16 r 5 t jan 21 ljp u sf attempted murder charges against three teens accused of beating 15yearold wamback into a coma are reduced to aggravated assault sending a wave of despair through who hoped the case would be heard in adult court i ri the oppannounces it will not lay chargesagatnst york banner ihejnbunessistefnews- jpaper5and two daily newspapers for publishing jonathans name i f the0pp conclude the victims family wanted the name published f feb23 i rjoe wambacktakeshis fight against the young offenders act to ottawa appeanng beforethe federal gov- ernmentshouse justice committee the committee js- reviewing bill c3 which proposes changes to the legisla tiohwamback doesnt feel the bill goes far enougmo toughen the act jmarch745 f kt r v k crown attorney mary lou dickie announces she wont seek to have the case against three youths transferred to adult court aunder the young offenders act theyface a maximum sentenceoftwo years if convicted v one of the youths charged with beating jonathan is arrested with his mother and brothers fojlowinga drug raid by police they face a totafof 50 charges aprilio v r v the wambacks launch a national bus shelter poster j campaign against the young offenders act morvthan 800000 canadians have signed the petition r april 30 x joe wamback is part of a panel on the young offenders mact on the cross country checkup at the newmarket theatre i r mwi i- r j justice terence ohara sets a threeweek tnal beginning oct 3 for the youths charged with aggravated assault on jonathan i- c- mmt131 i i joe wamback attends federal conservative convention inquebec city he reveals hes been approached by the v party to run in the next election a decision he is dis- rcussing with his family june 28 r i jonathan registers for grade 11 at newmarket high school u5 i rv-