5-year-old Minnesota boy fighting for his life after saving brother from icy creek – National
Ashkan Thibodeaux successfully pulled his younger sibling, Wyatt, from a freezing body of water in Itasca County on Easter Sunday after he suddenly slipped, the boys’ family said on a GoFundMe page set up to cover Ashkan’s medical bills.
“Ashkan didn’t hesitate for a second. 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 page reads. “Ashkan’s bravery reminds us all of the power of love and selflessness.”
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According to CaringBridge, a platform used for the purpose of documenting medical-related updates for patients in recovery, numerous emergency service crews including Itasca County Sheriffs, EMTs, Bovey Firefighters, North Memorial Ambulance crews, Grand Itasca nurses and doctors, Life Link crews and Children’s Minnesota staff performed life-saving CPR on Ashkan for six hours as he was transported to Minneapolis on a medevac flight.
A regional emergency response official confirmed the general details of Ashkan’s circumstances to The Guardian. Global News has reached out to the Itasca County Sheriff for further information.
Upon arriving at the hospital, staff placed the five-year-old on a life support system used for people with acute heart or lung conditions. By the fifth day of treatment, he had been taken off the machine, according to a CaringBridge update posted on an account associated with his family, who, according to their GoFundMe, are identified as Nick Adams and Trish Magnusen.
In the days that followed, Ashkan underwent multiple surgeries to remove organs that were irreparable, according to the records. Ashkan’s family was told on April 10 that he did not suffer any major brain damage, but there were “specks” of it present, Adams wrote, adding that Ashkan was able to move his legs and toes the following day.
Since having breathing tubes removed last Friday, Ashkan has begun verbalizing and making “all sorts of noises,” he continued. On Monday, Adams noted that Ashkan’s six-week-old baby sister had visited him in the hospital and that he continues to make strides toward recovery.
He has started speaking, asking for snacks and about his friends, but continues to experience significant side effects from numerous medications, the update says. It adds that he is able to recognize himself, his brother and others in photographs, which Adams described as a “miracle” and “something to behold.”
“God has been working and we will continue to watch him work today,” the latest update concluded.
Moms of kids on the local kids’ ice hockey team, the Greenway Mini Mites, are also rallying behind the five-year-old and his family by selling custom T-shirts to raise money for the boy’s recovery, according to a Facebook flyer.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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