Five-year-old Ashkan “Ash” Thibodeaux is fighting for his life after leaping into an icy Minnesota creek on Easter Sunday to save little brother Wyatt, before needing hours of CPR
A brave boy saved his little brother’s life by jumping into icy waters but has now ‘been put on life support’. Ashkan Thibodeaux, 5, known as Ash, and his younger brother Wyatt, were exploring a creek in Itasca County, Minnesota, USA, on Easter Sunday when a terrifying accident occurred.
According to reports, Wyatt fell into the freezing creek. However, his life was saved, thanks to his heroic brother Ash who, without hesitation, rushed to help and guided him back to land.
The scary situation was far from over, however, as Ash was then unable to pull himself out of the cold creek and struggled to stay above the surface. Deputies from the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office and emergency crews reportedly raced to the creek and pulled Ash to safety.
They went on to carry out CPR for more than six hours, while he was airlifted to a hospital in Minneapolis. “Ashkan didn’t hesitate for a second,” a GoFundMe page dedicated to raising funds for his recovery stated.
“He saw the danger and jumped in to save his brother, guiding him to safety and saving his life. Now, Ashkan is fighting for his own.”
The five-year-old was placed on temporary life support for more than 24 hours until his body began functioning again, the Daily Mail reported. The GoFundMe page further read: “Ashkan is receiving the best care possible.
“The doctors, emergency personnel, and the prayers of so many have helped him keep fighting. The road ahead will be long and filled with emotional and financial challenges for their family.
“We created this fundraiser to support them during this difficult time. The funds will help with medical expenses, ongoing treatments, travel and lodging for family, meals, daily living costs, time away from work, and any other needs that come up as Ashkan recovers.
“Ashkan’s bravery reminds us all of the power of love and selflessness. Now, it’s our turn to rally around him and our family.
“Every donation, no matter the size, makes a meaningful difference.” Ash’s father, Nick Adams, has been sharing updates on a CaringBridge.org page dedicated to his son, which is a non-profit social network and health crisis information portal.
On Friday (April 17), he wrote: “Another big step forward for Ash today! Because his liver is doing well – his doctors are able to give him Tylenol to regulate his temp better.
“Ash’s kidney function is holding and he still has not had to go back on dialysis. His breathing tube came out and we heard all sorts of noises as he finally got to use those vocal chords he’s so proud of.
“By this afternoon, he was sitting up in bed during PT and using all of his muscles – minus his still healing ab muscles from the gastric procedures. He is struggling with medication/hospital-induced delirium and we’re hopeful that as he spends more time off of sedation he begins to find some comfort.
“Someday, we hope to be able to laugh at his cartoonish expressions of surprise and horror – but right now it is very painful. He answered questions with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ using his voice!
“It was good to hear him again. In one of his bouts with the delirium he used the word ‘bed’ also.
“So much progress and so much to be hopeful for. Today was the first day that Ash seemed to comprehend all of the green hearts from his classmates, pictures on his walls, well-wishes, balloons, and stuffies.”
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