In this deeply troubling saga extending over five gruelling months, the fate of Nathan, a 37-year-old man with Down Syndrome, continues to hang precariously. The beloved family member has been missing since May 12th, last comprehended in the vicinity of Jane Street and Shepard Avenue East in Toronto. Nathan’s familial roots trace back to Waterloo Region, his birthplace, and an area he was intensely linked to.
With each passing day, the family’s distress is palpable. Nathan’s cousin, Jason Babcock, bares the heart-wrenching reality, “Many sleepless nights for all of us – many breakdowns,” He speaks, balancing the uncertainty imbued in hope and acceptance, “Being at the five-month mark, the family has hopes he’s still alive. But we have accepted if that’s not the case either. Most people know five months in, it could be very difficult and police have told us this is difficult on everybody.”
During May, intensive Level Three searches, the apex tier in the search directory of missing persons, enveloped Nathan’s last known location, complete with command posts set up outside community centres. The Toronto Police Department confirmed on Thursday that the investigation is still very much active, although new information to share remains elusive. Police patrolmen tirelessly continue the search for Nathan, acting upon every lead and tip-off, with hope always kept aflame.
Nathan, merely four feet and six inches tall, his frame carrying a weight of approximately 170 pounds, is easily recognisable by a thick beard and moustache adorning his face. A sense of urgency cloaks the search due to concerns circling around Nathan’s proficiency in self-care. As Babcock describes, “He has the mind of between an eight or 12-year-old,” adding, “He could function on his own for a couple days, max.”
Despite adversities, Nathan is remembered most for his infectious laughter and exuberant personality. A lover of video games, sports, and socialising over coffee, he was known to spark humour at any gathering with his contagious deep belly laughter.
In May, the family suspected that he might have been attempting to reach Waterloo Region, where he had spent a substantial part of his life with Babcock. There also continues to be accounts of suspected sightings in closeby Guelph. Regardless of residential location, the family urges everyone to remain vigilant and report any sign of Nathan they might come across.
The desperate pleas of the family have garnered a heartwarming response, with several communities rallying behind the search for Nathan. Social media platforms are being leveraged, as seen by the evolving Facebook group, ‘Search for Nathan’, where updates about the search efforts are regularly posted. Strikingly, messages of support have poured in from global Samaritans, a testament to Nathan’s far-reaching impact.
In this period of uncertainty, the collective hope persists of Nathan’s safe return into the arms of his family, to the warm laughter that resonates in their shared memories.
