Rutherford schools director says they face impossible decision after son injured in Tennessee storms

Kirsten Fiscus, Scott Broden and Nicole Young, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·2 min read
1

After a day of ups and downs, the family of 10-year-old Asher Sullivan is continuing to wait and hope for improvement while asking the community to "keep the prayers coming."

In a new update, the boy's father, Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan, said the family was woken up at 2 a.m. on Monday and told Asher had "stopped having any breaths on his own and that his eyes weren't responsive anymore.

"We had planned to have some rough conversations this afternoon," Sullivan wrote on Facebook Monday. He noted that at about noon, the plan shifted, and everything was put on hold because Asher "showed the ever slightest movement in one pupil."

The new update comes after an even bleaker Sunday post.

"He’s not in imminent danger at this very moment, but recovery does not seem possible," Sullivan wrote in that post. "Please pray for our family and our sweet Asher."

Since Wednesday, Asher has been in the hospital fighting for his life after he was sucked into a storm drain and swept under neighborhood streets after storms moved through Middle Tennessee hours before. He came out in a drainage ditch and CPR was started in an effort to save his life.

'Asher needs a miracle' Middle Tennessee prayer vigil sees 500+ after storm injures boy

Asher was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment.

His father has been posting updates on his condition via social media ever since. The posts have seen hundreds of shares and comments, with people promising prayers and well-wishes for the family.

Hundreds gathered Thursday outside Rutherford County Schools central office to pray for Asher, his family and for a miracle before singing "Amazing Grace" at the close of the vigil.

Sullivan said Friday there were small signs of neurological activity. Asher opened his eyes slightly and he occasionally breathed on his own, but doctors thought Asher would not survive, the post said.

In the Sunday Facebook post, Sullivan wrote that he and his wife have an impossible decision to make "that no parents should have to face."

"MRI shows part of the brain herniating into his brain stem, and severe damage to just about all areas of his brain," Sullivan said. "Despite what we are seeing with Asher each moment, we still were hoping against all odds. Unfortunately, the worst case scenario seemed to have come true."

The Sunday post follows an afternoon outing made by Declan Sullivan, brother to Asher. The boy spent time with the Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team in the dugout for Sunday's 3-0 win over Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Parents of Asher Sullivan, Tennessee boy hurt in storms, give update