Ollie Asker: Ballarat boy whose heart stopped beating on road to recovery

The family of a nine-year-old Ballarat boy who dropped dead while playing soccer has shared an important message.

The family of a boy, 9, who dropped dead while playing soccer has spoken out about “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

Ballarat boy Oliver “Ollie” Asker was playing with friends at a school holiday program at Pleasant Street Primary School when his heart stopped beating on June 29.

Publicly thanking the heroic stranger who rushed over and brought him back to life that afternoon, his family have revealed fresh details about the terrifying ordeal and Ollie’s prognosis going forward.

It was just after 2.45pm when his “horrified” mum received the call about what had happened.

While Camp Australia staff frantically called his parents and triple-0, a quick-thinking passer-by rushed to Ollie and started CPR until paramedics arrived.

Working nearby, his dad, Blake, rushed to the scene and arrived about the same time as paramedics. The boilermaker said there were “no words to describe it” but it was “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

Ollie was revived about 10 minutes later, with paramedics then using a defibrillator and placing him in an induced coma to be flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

While he made a few attempts to wake himself, Ollie was successfully woken from the coma the following day and doctors began undertaking “stress tests” on his heart to determine why it had stopped.

Happy and previously healthy, Ollie was later diagnosed with sudden cardiac death but despite extensive testing, doctors were unable to determine a cause.

Brave Ollie then endured two back-to-back surgeries lasting eight hours. The first involved a cardiac catheter being inserted and the second to insert an internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) in case his heart stops again.

Brave Ollie is now recovering at home. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Ollie spent two weeks in hospital and his parents and twin brother, Flynn, remained by his side every day and night.

Speaking on behalf of his family, his aunty, Rachel Asker, said doctors were “very impressed” with Ollie’s recovery.

“The follow up and recovery is a long road, but Ollie is in good spirits,” she said.

Ollie, described as a caring and animated boy with a passion for storytelling, has since celebrated his tenth birthday with his brother.

While his recovery is slow, he hopes to soon return to school and to living the once energetic and sport-filled life he did previously.

But for now he has taken to challenging himself with Rubik’s cubes.

While the internal defibrillator will remain in his chest, Ollie is expected to be able to live a very normal life.

The traumatic incident – that is rare in children – has rocked his family and led them to highlight the risks of sudden cardiac death.

Ms Asker recommended learning first aid and specifically, CPR.

“You never know when the moment to use the skill will arise,” she said.

The family has spoken with and expressed their sincere gratitude to the passer-by, who wishes to remain anonymous, for stepping in.

“We will be forever grateful to the person that saved our Ollie’s life,” she said.

“Without them passing by the outcome could have been devastating.”

She also recommended paying for ambulance cover.

Ms Asker set up a Go Fund Me page to help the family pay for Ollie’s medical bills in the wake of his transport and hospital admission, with the cost well over $13,000.

She said the family was “humbled by the generosity of those that have taken the time to donate”.