In a heartbreaking post on Facebook, MMA fighter Marcus Kowal said goodbye to his 15-month-old son Liam after he was hit in an alleged drunk-driving accident.
“Good night bebisen, you’ll always be with us. Pappa älskar dig,” Kowal wrote beneath a photo where he’s holding his son’s scraped hand. In his native Swedish tongue, “bebisen” means “baby” and “pappa älskar dig” means “papa loves you.”
On September 3, Liam was on a walk with his 15-year-old aunt when his stroller was hit by the alleged drunk driver. According to a statement by Hawthorne police, the aunt suffered leg injuries and Liam was found without a pulse. He was later revived.
The 72-year-old driver tried to flee the scene of the accident but was stopped by witnesses and given a field sobriety test, which determined she was under the influence.
Kowal and Misha Elder, Liam’s mother, made the decision to take him off of life support on September 4. Kowal wrote in a separate Facebook post, “About an hour ago, our baby was declared brain dead. He tried to fight so hard. He even died at one point but they brought him back. He’s a little fighter. His heart is still beating but his brain is no longer working. Our hearts are broken and there’s a void in my soul but we will get through this.”
Elder also posted on Instagram saying goodbye to her son.
“Saying goodbye to my light, my love, before he goes to save lives. This pain is unbearable. Liam, I love you.”
Kowal wrote on September 5 that Liam’s organs would be donated, “so that his little heart can make another child live and another set of parents not have to go through what we have to.”
Hawthorne police stated in a press release that they will be pursuing further charges against the driver who was currently out on $100,000 bail.
