02/06/2026
Watching Henry’s dad standing on those court steps broke our hearts
In many ways, we saw ourselves in him. In many other ways, we didn’t.
The world will never see footage of our Michael dying, and it shouldn’t. The world does not need that horror. More importantly, our family, especially Mike’s nieces and nephew, does not deserve for their to be lives permanently haunted by those final moments being shared publicly.
We had the choice to protect that dignity. Henry Nowak’s family did not.
Instead, they have had to endure the release of devastating footage simply to fight for justice for their son. No family should ever have to carry that burden.
One thing that brings us comfort is knowing that when Mike took his last breaths, he was not alone. He was surrounded by people desperately trying to save him and comfort him.
We know thanks to the tireless effort of those who tried to save him that Mike’s final moments contained compassion, kindness, humanity, and hope. Maybe the last words he heard were: “Hold on, the ambulance is coming. You’ll be alright.”
And even in the horror, those are words of care.
We share the pain of every person who has lost someone they love because of another person's choice to carry a knife and we cannot stop thinking about the pain Henry’s father must live with, knowing his son’s final moments were so different. Our hearts aches for their family and the demons they will now carry every day.
No parent should have to bury their child. No family should have to fight to prove their loved one mattered. And no community should accept knife crime as normal.
Please, let’s keep talking. Let’s keep educating. Let’s keep fighting for change.
