‘We love you, Asher’: Family provides update on boy swept into storm drain
“Realistically, we don’t expect Asher to recover,” the boy’s father said. “But we are checking and rechecking all the boxes.”
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WSMV) – Rutherford County Director of Schools Jimmy Sullivan shared an update Friday on the prognosis of his son who was swept into a storm drain last week.
Sullivan has posted updates about Asher’s prognosis on Facebook since the incident. On Friday, he said Asher has an anoxic brain injury (ABI) due to a lack of oxygen to his brain, which limits medical remedies unlike with a traumatic brain injury.
“If he had a TBI, we would have other options. TBI involves damage to parts of the brain, ABI involves damage to all parts of the brain (because) of lack of oxygen,” the elder Sullivan said, adding that staff began feeding Asher through the feeding tube Thursday night because “I know my buddy is hungry.”
Doctors also completed another MRI, Sullivan said. He asked for a detailed explanation of all parts of the brain that are injured.
”Realistically, we don’t expect Asher to recover, but we are checking and rechecking all the boxes to ensure we’ve done all we can before making that decision,” he said.
Asher was swept under the storm drain on Wednesday, May 8, while neighbors were helping pick up debris from severe weather. He eventually came out in a drainage ditch. CPR was administered, and his heartbeat was reestablished.
However, the damage was substantial, and Asher has remained on life support at Vanderbilt since.
A prayer vigil will be held May 18 at Fountains at Gateway in Murfreesboro starting at 6 p.m. It’s located at 1500 Medical Center Parkway.
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