A Message From Jonathan
It has taken me a long time to write an update for this site. I am afraid that in the middle of my recovery, personal and academic ventures, this website had been put aside for a while. I am pleased, however to say that I am doing very well. I believe that the last time this site was updated I was just relearning to walk, that I was going back to school and the movie about my early life was being released at that time.
These times, as I look back on them were very tough and I am amazed how I was able to pull through it. The injury itself left me many problems, all because of a violent attack. As most of you know, I was comatose for nearly three months, paralyzed for an additional seven and a half months and in a wheelchair for a year more. This has taught me a lot about life and how with something as cruel natured as this, for most, there simply is no getting over it. Going back to school was such an anxious time for my parents and I and my own thoughts were filled with the fear that I should be treated differently because of the injury. But going back to school certainly paid off because I am blessed to say that I have graduated high school and college with a General Arts and Science Diploma and few students treated me actually as different.
Due to the injury, my memory, reasoning and thought process overall were truly affected. If I had have stopped trying to learn, I never would have gained it back. But I didn’t stop trying to learn, as a matter of fact enough was never quite enough for me, and it paid off because I did gain most of my mental functioning back. When I was going to college, I lived on residence and there worked as a Resident Advisor. This was a unique privilege and an experience that changed my life forever. I met hundreds of good people and dealt with many different situations, which significantly improved my self-esteem and I sincerely hope I helped some students along the way. Also, I have been admitted to University this fall, for Honors English. This is a blessing that I am able to pursue, as I have always loved to read and write. Actually I am currently at work on an autobiography. It has no expected completion date, as I am sure you can imagine how difficult it would be for me to remember the events that happened.
The movie continues to be played in many countries around the world and we receive email constantly from kind-hearted people who are curious about how I am. I am grateful for all of your support and am certain that without those emails and prayers I would not have improved nearly as well as I did. My parents are as loving and supportive as ever and I probably never would have even survived without their influence, which has always been a good one.
I still walk with a bit of a limp but I really don’t mind. To me, the limp is a badge of courage that shows that I have suffered greatly and overcame it. And though I become incredibly fatigued, most of the time I will continue doing something until that fatigue is brushed aside. Overall, the injury has really hurt me in a great number of ways and although they bother me greatly, I continue to try, as try is all I can do.
One problem I did gain from the experience is an emotional one. Though the physical and mental affects of the head injury were huge, I persevere and try my best to overcome them. But the same cannot be said for the many emotional issues that I have. About four years ago, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and though I won’t go into the details of how that affects my life, I will say that it is nearly debilitating in a lot of situations.
The reason I mention this is that it is a clear state of the way an injury this bad or crime and assault can affect a person. But I don’t want this update to be gloomy, as I continually fight and recover every day. And truthfully, my story is a happy story – in comparison with many others who are victimized. My parents, a few years ago started a foundation (the link is on this website), that deals with the care and rights of crime victims, and because of the experience of being around it all of the time I have seen many horrible things. I am happy and sad at the same time to say that I was really one of the ‘lucky ones’.
Throughout this entire situation, I have never given up hope that it can be better. I will always be devoted to my recovery and well-being. I now drive, go to school, work and have fun just like any other twenty-two year old. Even though the injury and the experience changed my life mostly for the worse, my recovery is, in my own and many doctors’ words, a miracle. And in some ways the injury has been even to me, a blessing. For if it hadn’t had happened I never would have come to the realization of how beautiful the world is and how you shouldn’t take advantage of it. But one thing should not be left out of consideration. That is that I was hurt tremendously. And I am not giving reason for doing what they did to me to my attackers by saying that the injury, sometimes, comes as a blessing. They remain free today and even when I was paralyzed, they had already gotten out of their “youth jail”. Even though I will be forever scarred by this injury, they won’t be scarred. But remember one thing, that ‘living is the greatest revenge’, as I have said before.
Ever gratefully,
Jonathan Wamback
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