My son has suffered from a common condition since he was a little boy. But I never expected it would kill him until my worst nightmare came true

EXCLUSIVE

A devastated mother has shared the heartbreaking moment she was forced to switch off her son’s life support after he suffered a fatal asthma attack.

Michael Stallion-Gatt, 36, was gardening at his home in Morwell in eastern Victoria when warm weather sparked the serious attack on November 26.

The father-of-three had been admitted to hospital a week earlier after a similar asthma attack, but made sure he ‘carried his puffer with him at all times’ since his diagnosis as a child.

Mr Stallion-Gatt tried to reach his puffer to open his airways but quickly lost consciousness and collapsed in front of his 10-year-old son.

His mother, Diane Gatt, said her quick-thinking grandson sprang into action and called emergency services before trying to revive his father.

Paramedics placed a breathing tube in Michael’s mouth to help him breathe before he was rushed to hospital and put into an induced coma.

Three rounds of testing revealed that the loss of oxygen left him with no brain activity, forcing his family to make a heartbreaking phone call. Michael’s life support was turned off and he died at 5am on December 6 with his partner Brittany by his side.

Michael (pictured with his mother) went into cardiac arrest on November 26 during a severe asthma attack. Tests later showed that he had no brain activity due to a lack of oxygen.

Ms Gatt told Daily Mail Australia the pain of losing a son “just tears you apart” and Michael’s siblings, friends and young family were crushed.

“You know, you bring them into this world,” the mother of four said.

‘They are your life, from the moment they are born.

‘My Michael was never without, because if he wanted something, I was always there for him, whatever I could afford.’

Mrs Gatt only found out her son had been rushed to hospital after his friends knocked on her door to deliver the bad news.

She had no idea how bad his most recent attack had been until she saw him.

“I’m used to Michael having asthma attacks and going to the hospital, but I still ran there and when I saw him I thought, ‘Oh my God,'” she said.

“I knew right away, I hoped and prayed (for his recovery).”

Mrs Gatt said seeing a child die ‘just tears you apart’, but the family is taking action to support his partner and three young children in the run-up to Christmas

Mrs Gatt is now trying to support Michael’s partner, who held him as he took his last breaths next to their two sons and daughter.

“She has us for support and we have her for support,” she said.

Michael’s siblings have stepped up to ‘entertain his children’ in the run-up to Christmas and will help pay for his funeral which will be held on Thursday.

But his mother said the family didn’t realize how expensive it would be to say goodbye to their beloved father.

They’ve had one ever since GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.

Although a relatively common condition, severe asthma attacks can inflame the muscles around the airways and stop the flow of oxygen, killing hundreds of Aussies every year.

According to Asthma Australia, more than 31,000 people were admitted to hospital due to asthma attacks in the 2022-2023 financial year.

The charity revealed that 474 Australians died from asthma in 2023 alone, with a higher proportion coming from lower socio-economic areas.