News

Actions

Family honors 10-year-old son's memory through toy drive one year after tragic storm death

IMG_0384.jpeg
Posted

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Rutherford County family is keeping their son's memory alive by helping other children through a toy drive, nearly one year after he was swept away in a storm drain during severe weather.

Asher Sullivan, 10, died days after being caught in a storm drain during last year's severe storms that also claimed the life of a Maury County woman.

The Sullivan family has since donated hundreds of stuffed animals to children through "Asher's Animals," a toy drive created in his memory.

These donations have reached young patients at the Ronald McDonald House, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and have been given to first responders to comfort children at accident scenes.

Asher's mother, Kaycee, recently expanded the initiative by delivering toys to an animal shelter to be included in pet adoption baskets for families.

"This project has been healing me in ways I didn't know I needed," Kaycee said.

Those wishing to contribute can donate new small or medium-sized toys at the Rutherford County Schools' central office on Southpark Drive or connect with Asher's Animals through their Facebook page.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Do you have more information about this story? You can email newsroom@newschannel5.com.

Carrie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/2e/72/be0f23854c54a228c9d6138c9847/carrie-recommends-header.png

Rhori: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/5b/25/a224d13d47739165c92b94e643db/rhori-recommends-header.png

Eugene: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/7b/09/9eaf788d46f580c4234978610d60/screenshot-2026-04-29-at-12-11-52-pm.png

Lelan: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/af/54/833bf879454097a398bd44f723de/lelan-recommends.png

Nikki-Dee: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e1/b4/685a931d4182b82d9322d496fa15/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-18-pm.png

Henry: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/f7/31/2e3894bf45d9a1668f1ccc56b9f6/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-00-pm.png

Katie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/77/55/afe9375249a4b9e058e4b2c3d2ea/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-46-pm.png

Brittany: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/67/90/788e5c364f00baabf9c5edae87e2/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-06-pm.png

Jennifer: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e4/1e/9771c0824888a0fd87b2a1030979/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-02-19-pm.png

The skies were closed on 9/11. A Nashville phone call helped save a baby’s life

September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”

- Rhori Johnston