Marcus Kowal fights on vs. drunk driving
Marcus Kowal: “No parent should have to bury their child, especially due to drunk driving, when, in theory, we can stop it tomorrow.”
Liam Kowal, the 15-month-old son of professional fighter Marcus Kowal, was struck by a drunk driver in a hit and run accident on Saturday, September 3, 2016 at approximately 4:15 p.m. in Hawthorne, California. He was in a stroller, being pushed by his aunt, Eder’s 15-year-old sister; she was also struck by the vehicle, and received non-life-threatening leg injuries.
Liam died from the injuries the next day.
The SUV that struck Liam and his aunt was driven by Donna Marie Higgins, 72, who drove through the crosswalk striking both victims. She then fled the scene northbound. Witnesses followed Higgins for about a block and were able to box her vehicle in with their own cars until police arrived.
It was determined that Higgins was driving a vehicle while intoxicated and she was placed under arrest for felony hit and run and felony drunk driving; bail was set at $100,000.
On August 10, 2017, Higgins pleaded guilty in Superior Court to vehicular manslaughter; she is serving six years in state prison.
Kowal, 40, will have his final fight on Saturday night for CFX Promotions at the Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel in Studio City, California. Then he will fight on in different ways, for Liam.
“The truth is, this fight is for Liam,” said Kowal to Lance Pugmire for the LA Times. “… Now I’ve got to concentrate on my life.”
Four days after the passing of his son, Kowal began to write, and three months later he had 90,000 words. The book and documentary “Letters to Liam” near completion.
Letters to Liam – Official Trailer from Winters Rock Entertainment on Vimeo.
“It was a way for me to deal with emotions I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy,” said Kowal. “During this time, I met many fathers who had lost children and I realized that years down the line, some of them are still very bitter, many turning to drugs and alcohol.
“I refused to be that and I didn’t want to become that person. We very rarely speak candidly about men’s emotions. The stigma of being a fighter is you’re perceived as being macho … so I realized I can reach an audience with my book after trying to handle a situation like this as healthy as I possibly can. Dealing with grief is subjective, but if I can I help anyone in this process, I’m happy.”
“No parent should have to bury their child, especially due to drunk driving, when, in theory, we can stop it tomorrow. The problem is people say, ‘Someone should do something … .’ Well, who? I decided I’m going to do something.
“Because of what happened to my son, I’m going to make sure other lives are saved and that other parents don’t have to go through what we did.”
Kowal and his wife, Mishel, are undertaking a public safety campaign. In collaboration with the California Highway Patrol Kowal has spoken at 57 high schools.
“That’s the highest at-risk group, young males 16-35,’ Kowal explained. “Being a fighter, I come in and they think I’m cool and tend to listen a little more — even if I have the same message as a mother.”
The fighter also met with California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom about legislation to reduce the blood alcohol threshold from .08 to .04
“I have to tell myself to carry on every day,” Kowal said. “Time heals all wounds, but this scar will always be present. There’s days depression has taken over, when I’ve thought I’m going crazy.
“But both my wife and I decided early on, ‘We’re going to find our way back to happiness.’ My son parted. If I had parted, I’d have wanted him to be happy. We were raising him to be giving and happy. So it’s like the fight. You think, ‘What am I doing? Am I good enough? Am I crazy?’ I might get knocked down, but I’m not going to stop.”