RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — More than a week after the son of Rutherford County Schools Superintendent was caught in a storm drain and swept beneath the streets following severe weather, the boy’s family announced that he was “officially deceased.”
PREVIOUS: Boy injured in storm-related accident in Christiana
Dr. James Sullivan posted the following update regarding his son, Asher Sullivan, 10, on Facebook at 10:08 p.m. on Saturday, May 18:
Asher officially passed away this afternoon around 1:20 p.m. I say officially because of the events of the last 36 hours:
Asher had a brainstem reflex in recent days that kept him from being officially declared brain dead/deceased. The doctors had told us that they did not expect this reflex to disappear, but that further improvement beyond a simple finger movement was not possible. This left Kaycee and I with an impossible decision that we knew deep down we wouldn’t make.
We requested an additional MRI and this was performed Thursday evening. Kaycee and I met with the neurologists a few rooms away from Asher around 11am yesterday (Friday) morning to have an in-depth discussion. The MRI actually showed further progression of brain damage compared to five days earlier.
While we were gone, Asher’s vitals broke. His pulse and blood pressure became irregular, he lost the ability to control his temperature, and the eye response ceased. Our sweet boy did what Asher always did, he put others first. Kaycee and I no longer had to make an impossible decision. Instead, he did it for us while we were out of the room. The doctors performed two extremely thorough tests that Kaycee and I observed 24 hours apart. No parent should have to watch this, but we knew deep in our hearts that we had to. The results showed us what we already knew, that our sweet Asher was already gone.
We feel heartbroken, angry, and every other emotion at once.
We are still at Vanderbilt because we decided that Asher would give life to others as an organ donor. He remains on life support before this decision for a few days. This is 100% an “Asher” type thing to do to continue being selfless. He will take a walk of honor at the hospital in the coming days and will be celebrated as he is, a hero!
RELATED: #SullivanStrong movement spreads across the country
Rutherford County Schools released the following statement on Facebook shortly after Dr. Sullivan’s announcement:
Superintendent of Schools Jimmy Sullivan shared an important update on Asher.
We are all heartbroken for Jimmy, Kaycee and Declan Sullivan over the loss of Asher. We mourn with them during this difficult time and we will stand with them in the difficult days ahead. It has been incredible to see our community come together to support the Sullivans with prayer vigils, neighborhood cleanups, and empathy for one another. We know they will need our continued support and we are confident that our community will continue to surround them with love and be there to help them share the burden of this tragic loss.
#SullivanStrong
SEE ALSO: Middle TN honors 10-year-old storm victim with helmet stickers
This news comes just hours after dozens of people — including Asher’s fourth-grade teachers at Christiana Elementary, who described him as an extraordinary student — gathered at a prayer vigil in Murfreesboro for show their support for the Sullivan family.
“We talked about Asher a lot this week in class, of course, and the kids would tell you that they loved his silly side, that they missed his funny, silly side,” said Amber Peneguy, one of Asher’s teachers. “He was just this kid who would do something funny if someone was going through a hard time or was upset to make them laugh.”
Asher’s teachers told News 2 that despite his severe brain injury, his friends and classmates were still hoping for a miracle.
“He became a writer this year and he had a lot to say in his writing,” said Donna Damron, another of Asher’s teachers. “His classmates have even shared some of his writing more recently, just to rally around him and love him.”
Several close friends of Asher’s grandmother also showed up at the vigil, saying they would not give up hope and were praying that God would heal Asher.
“We’re not really a family, we’re a family, and we’re here for them and they know that and we’re grateful,” said Gina Baker of Tullahoma.
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According to Dr. Sullivan’s first social media post regarding the incident that sent Asher to the hospital, while Christiana’s neighbors were helping clean up after the storm on Wednesday, May 8, the children were playing in the water in the streets: “Somehow, Asher got caught in the storm drains and was swept beneath the neighborhood streets. He eventually came out in a drainage ditch and CPR was administered to him for a time. His heartbeat has been restored but the damage is significant.
For more than a week, the Rutherford County Schools superintendent provided information at least once a day on social media about Asher’s condition, particularly his brain, and continued to ask for prayers from the community.
Not only did the Rutherford County community show their support for Asher and his family, but the movement made waves on social media with the hashtag #SullivanStrong, reaching people across the country.
A GoFundMe has also been set up for the Sullivan family. If you would like to donate, follow this link.
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