A toddler in Arizona was found alive in a hospital morgue six hours after being pronounced dead by a doctor. Eighteen-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was discovered in a family member’s pool and taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. However, when staff arrived to transport his body to the medical examiner’s office, they found him breathing. Fiordilino survived and has since been released from the hospital.
The incident is now being investigated by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and the police department has recommended that his parents face charges. The Gilbert Police Department told NBC News that Fiordilino’s parents were arrested for felony child endangerment and are potentially facing prosecution. The incident occurred on Super Bowl Sunday in February, when Fiordilino was found face down in a family member’s pool.
A relative attempted to perform CPR, and he was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead by Dr. Aryan Toosi. According to documents reviewed by NBC News, when a police officer questioned Toosi because Fiordilino still appeared to be breathing, Toosi replied, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.” Toosi’s lawyer, Scott Holden, declined to comment on the incident, citing the investigation and patient confidentiality.
A spokesperson for Mercy Gilbert Medical Center called the incident “heartbreaking” and stated that the hospital had conducted a thorough review of the care provided to learn what happened and make meaningful changes to strengthen their care. A GoFundMe has been launched to help support the family’s medical costs from the incident. According to the GoFundMe page, Fiordilino faces a “long and challenging recovery” and will need “extensive therapy, ongoing medical monitoring, and support for his healing organs.” However, doctors have reported that he suffered no brain damage, and he is being called the “miracle baby.”
