The Pittsburgh Pirates fan who fell 21 feet from the stands during a game at PNC Park earlier this year is speaking out Monday night.
In an exclusive interview with Inside Edition, which will air in full at 8 p.m. ET tonight, Kavan Markwood, 20, will detail the April 30 incident that changed his life forever.
“I don’t know how I’m alive,” Markwood told Inside Edition in a preview clip provided to Men’s Journal, later adding that he still wakes up with pain “everyday” and can’t feel two of his fingers.
Markwood, a South Allegheny High School alum and former Wheeling University linebacker, was watching the Pirates and Chicago Cubs face off when disaster struck.
While celebrating an RBI double by Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen, Markwood lost his footing and went tumbling over the barrier near the Clemente Wall in right field.
A shocking incident
Immediately, players from both teams realized what happened, dropping to their knees. The entire ballpark went into a hush.
Medical personnel immediately tended to Markwood, strapping him to a backboard and gurney and taking him off the field.
“We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred last night,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in a statement the day after the game. “It was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced. We are devastated. Pirates baseball is a community, and our fans are like family. In times like these, we must come together, support one another and keep him and his loved ones in our prayers. We also want to thank and appreciate the efforts of the first responders who rushed to his attention and provided him with compassionate care.”
A long road ahead
Markwood was hospitalized with a multitude of serious injuries, including a broken neck, clavicle and back, according to a GoFundMe started to help his family pay for medical expenses.
Incredibly, Markwood was able to regain consciousness within days. In the four-plus months following his accident, the former football star has been busy rehabbing and trying to return to normalcy.
As you can see by his quotes above, Markwood is not fully recovered, and may always suffer from some effects of the trauma he endured.
You can catch his full conversation with Inside Edition later tonight.
