In this season of giving, a Middle Tennessee family is sharing a story of both heartbreak and deep love for others.
Asher Sullivan was a little boy full of life when he was swept into a storm drain last May following severe weather across Middle Tennessee. Ten days later, the 10-year-old was taken off life support.
His organs saved the lives of four other people, but that is not his last gift to this world. For the first time, his family is opening up about how Asher's love for others continues to live on.
The Sullivan family of Rutherford County has experienced both triumph and tragedy within the walls of the Monroe Carell Junior Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Their oldest son, Declan, fought cancer there when he was just 8 years old.
After Declan escaped the challenges of cancer treatment, tragedy struck again. Last year, after a day of severe weather and heavy rain, the Sullivan’s youngest son, Asher, was swept into a storm drain. Another battle inside the hospital began, but this fight could not be won.
"We still talk about him all the time," said Kaycee Sullivan, Asher's mother.
Now it is Asher's spirit that brings his family back to the hospital where they experienced so much.
"He was very loving, the most loving kid ever and also very silly. Silly all the time," Kaycee said.
The family calls Asher their "squirrel" because of his oversized heart, something even his big brother can attest to.
"He had a lot of empathy and would always help other people, and his one goal was just to make everyone around him feel like they could fit in," Declan said.
To care for others so well is a rare thing for a 10-year-old boy, a trait the Sullivan family wanted to live on. They didn't have to look any further than Asher's bedroom to figure out how to do it.
"I've got a picture of him, probably when he was two, in his crib surrounded by stuffed animals. So, yeah. It was just his thing," Kaycee said. "He probably had a couple hundred and would sleep with as many as would fit in his bed and never let us get rid of any of them and would always get one whenever we take any of our vacations."
And so, Asher's Animals was born.
With donation drives during Asher's celebration of life and to mark his birthday, thousands of new stuffed animals have since poured into the community to places where a little extra love is needed. Each comes with a message from the heart. The special tag reads: Please love on this stuffy in honor of Asher Sullivan, who passed away at age 10. He loved all stuffed animals and would want to share that joy with you. Always be kind to others.
The stuffed animals will now go to other children facing their own battles.
"I have a trach and then a G-tube on this guy, and then we have an IV on this little elephant," said Child Life Specialist Cara Clancy, who uses the animals for both education and comfort.
"Such a vital tool not only to provide comfort and support, and just something to hug on and love on for patients and families," Clancy said.
It is a tool for the Sullivans as well, a labor of love for the one who loved others so well.
"I know for me, just knowing how much joy it would bring Asher for these animals to go to other kids is what kind of keeps me going," Kaycee said.
"There's nothing that we can do about the past, whether it was Declan's cancer or Asher's accident and his death,” said Jimmy Sullivan, Asher's father. “Making sure that we remember that and that Asher's memory is continued, but also that we continue his memory for good. That, as a parent, that's truly all that we can do now -- is make sure that his memory lives on."
To honor Declan's cancer battle, the Sullivans also started a scholarship fund for survivors of critical illness and their siblings, just another way they are choosing to give in the face of crisis.
This story was reported on-air by Carrie Sharp and photojournalist Devin Crawford. It has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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