Toddler declared dead by doctor, found breathing in hospital morgue five hours later by medical examiner’s staff

An 18-month-old boy in Gilbert, Arizona, survived after being pronounced dead by a doctor following a drowning incident, only to be found breathing about five hours later by an employee from the medical examiner’s office. The child, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was taken to another hospital and survived, although he has suffered severe brain injuries, according to his family’s lawyer.

The incident occurred on February 8, when Vincent was brought to Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after being found in his family’s swimming pool. About an hour after his arrival, Dr Aryan Toosi pronounced him dead.

Vincent’s mother, Alexus Fiordilino, told NBC News that she believed she could feel her son breathing while holding him to say goodbye. However, she said the doctor told her these were his final gasps and that further attempts to prolong his life would increase his suffering.


Also Read: Wife suffers five broken ribs after husband hugs her, bizarre incident from China goes viral

“As a mom you don’t want to hear that,” Fiordilino said. “I didn’t want him to suffer. It seemed to be they’d done everything they could. And then he called it.”

About five hours later, while police were questioning the parents about the drowning, a detective informed them that their son was still alive. According to the family’s account, an employee who arrived to collect the toddler’s body discovered that he was breathing.

“My husband and I just screamed in relief,” Fiordilino said. “We were praising the Lord. We were crying. To go from hearing he was gone and then finding out he isn’t gone, it’s an unexplainable feeling.”

Police report raised questions about the doctor’s response

According to an Associated Press report, two police officers said they observed “signs of life” in Vincent after he had been pronounced dead. The officers allegedly raised their concerns with Toosi but were dismissed.

“Please do your thing and let me do my thing,” Toosi told an officer at one point, according to the police report. “I went to medical school for a reason.”

Vincent was subsequently flown to another hospital for treatment. His mother later told People that she had never imagined such an incident could happen.

“I didn’t even think stuff like that happened. I thought I lost my baby and he was back,” she said, adding, “There isn’t a day I don’t think about that day.”

Parents will not face charges over drowning

Gilbert police initially recommended negligence charges against Vincent’s parents. Investigators said they detected a strong odour of marijuana at the family’s home and suspected the child had been left unsupervised before entering the pool.

“Both admitted to smoking marijuana the morning of the drowning,” the police report stated.

However, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell later announced that the parents would not be charged.

Family plans formal complaint against hospital and doctor

John Brewer, the lawyer representing Fiordilino, told NBC News that he planned to file a formal complaint against the hospital and Toosi.

“The parents were faced with having to decide whether to keep trying to revive their son, and the doctor provided them with false information,” Brewer said. “That’s beyond a conscious disregard for human life.”

Toosi’s lawyer, Scott Holden, responded with a statement saying the doctor’s thoughts were with the child and his family.

“Dr Toosi’s thoughts are with the young patient and family, and he wishes the child continued healing and recovery,” the statement said. “His commitment to delivering high-quality care has always been rooted in a desire to provide healing, safety and comfort to his community.”

Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center described the situation as “heartbreaking” but declined to discuss the case or the individuals involved in patient care, citing patient privacy.

“Patient safety and exceptional care are our highest priorities,” the hospital said in its statement.

Also Read: Viral video allegedly shows child consuming drugs in Punjab's Kapurthala, political leaders raise alarm

Toddler faces serious health challenges

Although Vincent survived, Brewer said the child sustained severe brain injuries and continues to face significant health challenges.

“Vincent is severely brain-injured,” Brewer said. “He can’t swallow. He seizes up. He can’t sit up on his own or crawl.”

Fiordilino told NBC News that her son was improving, although his recovery remained ongoing.

The family has also launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover his medical expenses. In the fundraising appeal, the family said Vincent was breathing on his own with assistance from a ventilator while his lungs continued to heal. They added that doctors were allowing his recovery to progress gradually and had begun calling him “the miracle baby”.

The family said it was grateful for the support it had received but faced substantial medical costs. Its fundraising target was $28,000, and the page had raised $25,751, or 92% of the goal, according to the figures provided.