A professional mixed martial arts fighter plans to donate his son's organs after he was pronounced brain dead Sunday as a result of his injuries after an alleged drunken driver crashed into the baby and his teenage aunt in Los Angeles County.
The 15-month-old, Liam Kowal, was taken off life support Tuesday.
The baby's father Marcus Kowal told NBC4 that he and his wife plan on donating his organs to another child who may need them.
"The man we would have raised him to be ... he would want to do that anyway," Kowal said, fighting back tears.
The boy's body was kept alive several days after the crash in preparation for organ donation.
"I've lost my son but he wasn't in pain," Kowal said. "That's the one thing out of this. He was never in pain. It happened so quickly."
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Liam's 15-year-old aunt was pushing the baby in a stroller inside a Hawthorne crosswalk when they were both struck by an SUV on Saturday.
The crash occurred on 133rd Street and Hawthorne Boulevard around 4:20 p.m., police said.
The driver, Donna Marie Higgins, fled the scene of the crash, but witnesses followed her. They used their cars to block Higgins in until police arrived.
Higgins, 72, was arrested for felony hit and run and felony drunken driving. She is now out after posting $100,000 bail.
The LA County district attorney's office will likely update Higgins charges to homicide or murder charges, officials said.
"There's no greater loss than the loss of your child," Liam's uncle said.
Kowal, Liam's father, is a decorated MMA fighter.
"The support we have received from the Martial Arts world is unreal," Kowal posted on his Instagram. "Tears are running down my cheeks as I look at this picture of my little boy."
The MMA organization California Xtreme Fighting is holding an event on Sept. 10 along with a silent auction of autographed boxing and MMA merchandise to benefit the Kowal family.
A GoFundMe page has also been started in Liam's honor to help with the family's medical expenses and funeral costs.