With Asher Sullivan fighting for his life in a Vanderbilt University Medical Center room and his family keeping watch around the clock, Tim Corbin wanted to help.
It’s been a brutal week for the Sullivan family who found 10-year-old Asher unresponsive after he was sucked into a storm drain near their Rutherford County home following Wednesday’s devastating storms in the area.
Their story has touched people throughout middle Tennessee, including Corbin. Even in the middle of a grueling series against no. 1 Tennessee in which the Commodores dropped the first two games – their eighth and ninth consecutive losses against their chief rival – Corbin’s mind drifted to the Sullivans.
“I was just laying in bed (Saturday) wondering, personally, if there was anything we could do to help a healing process, just in a short term,” Corbin said.
Both Asher and his big brother Declan attended Corbin’s Vanderbilt baseball camps and are fans of the Commodores. Declan is no stranger to hospitals himself, having fought through a bought of childhood leukemia. Now he must watch and pray to see if his brother can pull through.
Corbin decided to reach out to see if he could help Declan escape the worry of the moment. Despite the fact his team had lost seven straight SEC games and was in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, the two-time national champion coach reached out to the boys’ father Jimmy with a special invitation.
“It was late, probably about 10:30,” Corbin said. “I texted him and I said, ‘Listen, I know this is small change, but can we take Declan for the afternoon and just bring him over to the ballpark?’ He texted me right back and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Corbin and his wife Maggie left Hawkins Field after batting practice Sunday to personally pick Declan up from the hospital and bring him to the ballpark. And when the Commodores and Volunteers resumed their series just after 1 p.m. there was 12-year-old Declan by Corbin’s side in the Vanderbilt dugout.
An honorary Vandy Boy and an inspiration himself, given Declan’s courage through his own health scare and now his strength during Asher’s battle.
“That family’s been through a ton,” Corbin said. “Declan himself has been through a ton.”
Perhaps with a new perspective about their up and down season compared to the trials Declan Sullivan and his family have faced, Vanderbilt came out with a new energy for the series finale.
With Declan looking on the Commodores jumped to a lead on Alan Espinal’s two-run first-inning home run, added a run in the second, and got stellar pitching from J.D. Thompson and Devin Futrell to make that score hold up. Thompson and Futrell shut the potent Vols offense out for the first time this season, holding them to a season-low three hits while striking out 14.
It was a desperately needed win for their resume, and, potentially, a season-turning moment for the Vandy Boys with one special guest along for the ride.
“He had a great time,” Corbin said. “I’m happy for the kid. This is probably really good for him right now.”
The road ahead remains tough as the Sullivans continue to pray for a miracle for Asher. But on Sunday baseball – and a coach that understands that sometimes it’s about much more than just a game – provided a few rays of sunshine at the end of a nightmare week.
“Sports sometimes can bring relief to families and people in times of need,” Corbin said. “This is just one of those times.”
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