TULSA, Okla. — When 2 News viewers first met Jacob Towe, he was just beginning his work.
TOWE’S FIRST INTERVIEW >>> Advocating for Leo’s Law
“Unfortunately, we’re in a community that we never asked to be in,” Towe said.
WATCH: GRIEF BECOMES ADVOCACY: Unlikely friends travel to DC for fentanyl rally
Towe lost his son, Leo, to fentanyl poisoning at age three. He’s advocating for the creation, and passage of Leo’s law, which would require fentanyl testing for some Oklahoma parents before taking custody of their children.
That advocacy has stretched all across Oklahoma, creating a network of supporters, including a new friend, Caden Hill.
“It’s really hard to lose somebody so close to you,” Hill said.
When Hill was just 13 years old, he lost his mom to fentanyl poisoning. He misses her dearly.
“Everything man. The way she would just … the way she’d care for us, me and my baby brother, she left behind. I just …. Man, there’s a lot of things I miss about her, just everything,” Hill said.
Hill and Towe have a lot in common, and they both wanted to make the trip to Washington, D.C. for the Lost Voices of Fentanyl Rally.
“It didn’t look like we were gonna go, and overnight, just woke up and there was enough money to go on the trip in the GoFundMe account,” Towe said.
“The next morning he called me and was like, we’re going to DC buddy! Pack a bag, we’re going,” Hill said.
Just like that, they boarded the first plane to Washington.
They joined families from across the country, advocating for more safety and protection around fentanyl.
“I lost my mom. I didn’t want other people to lose their kids, their siblings, their parents, whoever it may be. I don’t want anyone else to feel the feeling that we did,” Hill said.
The trip culminated outside the Washington Monument, as Towe delivered a speech to hundreds in the audience.
“So today we fight. We fight for our children. We fight for every single lost voice of fentanyl. Evil will not win this battle,” Towe said in the speech.
Towe says Leo’s Law will be considered during the next legislative session. Additionally, a return trip to Washington is in the works.
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