Tennessee boy pulled into storm drain is not breathing on his own, dad says

A family is praying for a miracle after 10-year-old Asher Sullivan was swept into a storm drain after a severe weather event.

Jimmy Sullivan said on Facebook that his son was playing outside while neighbors fixed their homes and cleaned debris after a storm tore through Christiana, Tennessee, where, "Somehow, Asher got caught in the storm drain and was swept under the neighborhood streets."

"He eventually came out in a drainage ditch and CPR was administered for quite some time," Jimmy Sullivan wrote on Facebook. "His heart beat was reestablished, but the damage is substantial."

Jimmy Sullivan, superintendent/director of schools with the Rutherford County School District, has been posting regular updates, and his family are holding on to the slightest glimpses of promise, but he said Sunday, "recovery does not seem possible."

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Over 500 people attended a prayer vigil for 10-year-old Asher Sullivan, who is fighting for his life after being pulled into a storm drain in a freak incident. (Rutherford School District/Facebook)

Sullivan wrote on Friday that the doctor told his family Asher "wouldn't survive his injuries," but neurology "saw a few signs," such as a pain response in his arm and pupils reacting to light. 

Later the same day, Sullivan said his son breathed on his own for the second time while on a ventilator. "Only a few, but a win is a win."

"Think we need to leave him alone for the night to rest," he wrote in a 6:30 p.m. post on Friday. 

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On Sunday, the faintest hint of hope dimmed even more. "Neurological signs we were seeing as positives have stopped," he said. 

Community members at Asher Sullivan's prayer vigil hold each other as they hope the 10-year-old survives the insurmountable odds. (Rutherford School District/Facebook)

"(Asher) had some real tough moments with pulse, blood pressure and breathing," Sullivan wrote on Facebook Sunday shortly after 6 p.m.

In the same Sunday evening update, Sullivan posted a picture of his family holding hands.

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"Unfortunately, the worst case scenarios seemed to have come true," the father wrote in a heartbreaking post. "He’s not in imminent danger at this very moment, but recovery does not seem possible."

He said he and his wife Kaycee "have some impossible decisions to make in the next few days that no parents should have to face. Please pray for our family and our sweet Asher."

Community members prayed for Asher Sullivan during a vigil on Thursday. (Rutherford School District/Facebook)

Nurses woke up Asher's parents to say he stopped breathing on his own, and his eyes were not responsive, according to a Monday Facebook post. 

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Monday night was much the same, Sullivan said.

The Rutherford County school community in Tennessee came in hundreds to support Asher Sullivan, 10, who is fighting for his life after a freak accident. (Rutherford County School District/Facebook)

Asher's tragic accident happened after his hometown in middle Tennessee was devastated by tornadoes, severe storms and floods on May 8 and 9.

"Several waves of severe thunderstorms, including many supercells, impacted the midstate during this period," the National Weather Service said. "All together, this event resulted in widespread wind damage across nearly every county of Middle Tennessee, large hail up to apple size and at least four tornadoes."

More than 500 people gathered for a prayer vigil on Thursday, after news about Asher's tragic accident spread through the community, according to the school district. 

People are praying that Asher Sullivan, 10, defies the odds and survives after being swept into a storm drain in a tragic weather-related incident. (Rutherford County School District/Facebook)

The school district posted over a dozen photos of community members and friends holding signs with Asher's picture saying, "Prayers for Asher," on Facebook. 

They prayed, held each other and reflected, as they support the Sullivan family as strongly as Asher is fighting for his life. 

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"Thank you to the 500-plus community members who attended Thursday's prayer vigil for RCS Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Sullivan and his family as Asher Sullivan continues to fight for his life," the school district wrote in its Facebook post.

"Please keep the family and Asher's care team in your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead."