Alexus Fiordilino: Mum whose toddler was found breathing in morgue after being declared dead speaks out

A shattered mother whose 18-month-old son was found in a hospital morgue just hours after being pronounced dead by an emergency department doctor has opened up on her family’s pain.

Alexus Fiordilino said there was “no happy ending” for the Arizona family after their heartbreaking saga began on February 8 when toddler Vincent was found floating in their home’s swimming pool during a Super Bowl party.

Vincent’s mum and dad, Angelo, performed CPR on the tot before he was taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, according to Metro.

However, he was pronounced dead by an emergency department doctor only an hour after his arrival.

Alexus told US news station ABC 15 that when she arrived at the hospital: “I thought, ‘OK, these people are going to help me.’”

Instead she said that she was told “I had to say goodbye. Do you know how hard that is?”

Five hours after the youngster was declared dead, staff for the County medical examiner who arrived at the morgue to transport his body discovered that he was, in fact, alive.

“He ended up in the morgue,” his mother said. “He was alone.”

Vincent was then rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital where tests revealed that while he would live, he had suffered brain damage to such a severe extent he would require constant ongoing care.

Alexus and her family have now turned their attention to the medical care Vincent received from Mercy Gilbert Medical Center and, in particular, the emergency department doctor on duty, Aryan Toosi.

She said that Dr Toosi had told her shortly after Vincent’s arrival that even if he could be revived, his blood was too acidic and that he would “be suffering” for the rest of his life.

“He came back, like maybe not even five, 10 minutes later and he’s like, ‘Yeah, so his pH levels are too high. They’re too acidic. So even if we are to bring him back, it wouldn’t be a good form of life. He’d be suffering. So I think it’s best that I call the time for it’,” she told ABC 15.

She described the heartbreaking moment she was forced to say goodbye to her young son, who now felt “so cold” as she held him.

However, she said her mother-in-law told her that she went to embrace Vincent that she thought she heard him breathing.

A police report cited by the Daily Mail also revealed that other individuals also witnessed the child drawing breath with hospital staffers attempting to revive Vincent before he was pronounced dead by Dr Toosi.

The police report cited an officer hearing a nurse stating “I have a pulse” before the revival attempt was halted by the emergency department doctor who then said: “As long as there are no objections, I’d like to call time of death”.

Vincent’s parents were told to farewell their child at 6.26pm, six minutes after his declared time of death.

But during his move to the morgue, a policewoman said she heard what seemed to be another gasp from Vincent.

Lawyers for Alexus and Angelo have taken issue with Dr Toosi’s citation of blood gas results to justify pronouncing the youngster dead - with hospital documents revealing that those results were not received until 18 minutes after the child was declared dead at 6.20pm.

But Alexus said it was Vincent’s solitary ordeal in the morgue which she was still agonising over: “He was alone. He was alone for five-and-a-half hours. How do you do that to a baby?”

“It like, doesn’t end. There’s no, like, happy ending.”

In a statement to ABC 15, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center’s operator Dignity Health said the situation was “heartbreaking”.

“Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot share any information and we are unable to comment on those involved in patient care,” the statement said.

A lawyer for Dr Toosi said his client’s thoughts were with the toddler and his family, according to the Daily Mail that his client’s thoughts were with Vincent and his family.

”His commitment to delivering high-quality care has always been rooted in a desire to provide healing, safety and comfort to his community,” the lawyer said.

While local police investigations have not established probable cause for criminal conduct, it’s believed the case has been referred to the state Attorney-General’s office for review.

A gofundme set up to help the family with Vincent’s extensive therapy, ongoing medical monitoring and support for his healing organs has raised more than $US24,000 - just $US4000 short of its $28,000 target.