A mother has spoken publicly about the devastating experience of discovering that her 18-month-old son was still alive after doctors had pronounced him dead and sent him to a hospital morgue.
Vincent Fiordilino was taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre in Arizona after being found face down in his family's swimming pool.
Despite attempts to resuscitate him, an emergency department doctor declared the toddler dead.
However, more than five hours later, medical examiner staff preparing to transport his body discovered that Vincent was alive.
The child was subsequently transferred to another hospital, where doctors confirmed that he had suffered extensive brain damage.
His mother, Alexus Fiordilino, has now spoken about the ordeal, while an investigation examines the circumstances surrounding the original declaration of death.
What did Vincent Fiordilino's mother say?
Vincent's mother, Alexus Fiordilino, questioned how hospital staff could leave her baby alone for hours after mistakenly declaring him dead.
Speaking to ABC 15, she said: "He was alone. He was alone for five-and-a-half hours. How do you do that to a baby?"
Her comments came after she described the devastating moment she believed she had lost her son.
Alexus explained that she had initially trusted hospital staff to save Vincent after the drowning incident.
She recalled arriving at the hospital believing medical professionals would be able to help her child.
Instead, she said, she was told that Vincent had died and was forced to say goodbye to him.
Reflecting on that moment, she asked: "Do you know how hard that is?"
Her account has raised questions about how the toddler was assessed, the decision to stop resuscitation and why signs of life were not identified sooner.
What happened to 18-month-old Vincent Fiordilino?
The incident began in February 2026 at the Fiordilino family's home in Gilbert, Arizona.
Vincent's parents, Alexus and Angelo Fiordilino, discovered their son face down in the family swimming pool.
According to a GoFundMe page associated with the family, the toddler had been underwater for approximately five minutes.
His parents immediately began emergency measures before taking him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre.
At the hospital, medical staff attempted to resuscitate Vincent.
However, emergency department physician Dr Aryan Toosi eventually pronounced the child dead.
According to the mother's account, the doctor referred to concerns about Vincent's blood acidity and the potential consequences of his prolonged oxygen deprivation.
Alexus alleged that the doctor believed further resuscitation would not result in an acceptable recovery and asked staff to stop CPR.
These are allegations about the medical decision-making process, and the full circumstances remain under investigation.
How was Vincent discovered alive in the morgue?
After Vincent was pronounced dead, his family reportedly noticed something that caused them concern.
His grandmother believed she could hear him breathing.
According to the family's account, hospital staff explained that the sounds were agonal breathing.
Agonal breathing refers to abnormal, involuntary gasping that can occur when someone is experiencing severe oxygen deprivation or cardiac arrest.
It is not the same as normal, effective breathing and can indicate a life-threatening medical emergency.
Despite the family's concerns, Vincent remained officially recorded as deceased.
Approximately five-and-a-half hours later, medical examiner staff preparing to transport his body discovered that he was alive.
The discovery led to Vincent receiving further medical attention before being transferred to Phoenix Children's Hospital.
The reporting does not establish precisely what signs of life were observed or how long Vincent had been showing them.
What condition is Vincent in now?
After being discovered alive, Vincent was transported by ambulance to Phoenix Children's Hospital for specialist treatment.
Doctors performed an MRI scan, which reportedly showed extensive brain damage.
According to the family's account, the injuries mean Vincent will require lifelong care.
Severe oxygen deprivation following a drowning incident can cause significant neurological injury, although the extent of long-term impairment varies from patient to patient.
The available reporting does not establish which aspects of Vincent's injuries resulted from the initial drowning and whether subsequent medical decisions contributed to the outcome.
Those questions form part of the wider scrutiny surrounding his treatment.
Why is the timing of a blood test being questioned?
One of the central issues raised by the family's legal representative concerns the timing of a blood gas test.
Blood gas tests can provide information about oxygen, carbon dioxide and acidity levels in the blood, helping doctors assess a critically ill patient's condition.
John Brewer, a lawyer representing the Fiordilino family, said the emergency department doctor referred to Vincent's blood gas results when explaining the decision to pronounce him dead.
However, according to documents cited in the reporting, Vincent's time of death was recorded as 6.20pm.
The blood gas results reportedly did not become available until 6.38pm.
That would place the availability of the test results 18 minutes after the recorded declaration of death.
The discrepancy has raised questions about what information was available to the doctor at the time and how it influenced his decision.
The timing alone does not establish medical negligence, but it is among the circumstances being examined.
Were warming measures carried out before Vincent was declared dead?
Another concern raised in the reporting relates to whether Vincent's core body temperature was assessed.
Documents cited by the family's representatives reportedly suggest that the doctor did not take a core temperature measurement or undertake warming measures before declaring the toddler dead.
Temperature assessment can be particularly important in some drowning and resuscitation cases because hypothermia may complicate the evaluation of a patient's condition.
However, the appropriate treatment depends on the specific clinical circumstances.
It has not been independently established in the supplied reporting whether Vincent was hypothermic or whether warming would have changed his outcome.
These issues are among the questions being raised about the care he received.
What has the hospital said about the incident?
Dignity Health, which operates Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre, issued a statement to ABC 15 following the reports.
The healthcare organisation described the situation as heartbreaking.
However, a spokesperson said it could not disclose patient information or discuss the individuals involved in Vincent's care because of privacy obligations.
The hospital has therefore not publicly provided a detailed explanation of the medical decisions described by the family.
What has the doctor accused of making the mistake said?
Dr Aryan Toosi, the emergency department physician identified in the reporting, has not publicly provided a detailed account of the incident.
His lawyer, Scott Holden, issued a statement expressing sympathy for Vincent and his family.
Holden said his client's work had always been guided by a commitment to providing quality medical care and supporting patients in his community.
He also explained that pending litigation and patient privacy laws prevented him from discussing the details of Vincent's treatment.
No finding of professional misconduct or medical negligence has been established in the supplied reporting.
Is there an investigation into Vincent's case?
Yes. The circumstances surrounding Vincent's treatment and the declaration of death are being investigated.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office is reviewing the matter, according to the reporting.
Gilbert police have also examined the incident.
Sergeant Jordan Truckenbrod of the Gilbert Police Department said the investigation had not established probable cause for criminal conduct.
That statement does not necessarily resolve separate questions about the medical care provided or the civil litigation involving the family.
The investigation and legal proceedings may address different issues and apply different standards.
What is agonal breathing?
Agonal breathing is an abnormal breathing pattern that can occur during cardiac arrest or severe oxygen deprivation.
It may sound like gasping, snoring or occasional attempts to draw breath.
Although a person may appear to be breathing, agonal gasps do not provide adequate ventilation and should not be mistaken for normal breathing.
In a suspected cardiac arrest, a person who is unresponsive and not breathing normally requires immediate emergency assistance and CPR according to current resuscitation guidance.
In Vincent's case, his grandmother reportedly believed she heard breathing after he had been declared dead.
Hospital staff allegedly attributed the sounds to agonal breathing, but the precise clinical observations and their interpretation remain matters of concern in the case.
What happens next for Vincent and his family?
Vincent's family is now facing the challenges of caring for a child who has reportedly sustained extensive neurological injuries.
His mother has publicly questioned the decisions made during his hospital treatment and the hours that passed before he was discovered alive.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Attorney General's Office is reviewing the circumstances, and the family's legal representatives have raised questions about medical records and the timing of key decisions.
Although the toddler survived, the long-term consequences of his injuries are expected to be significant.
For Alexus and Angelo Fiordilino, the case has become both a deeply personal tragedy and a search for answers about what happened to their son.
Source: Tyla, October 21, 2026, citing ABC 15, Arizona's Family, the Fiordilino family's legal representatives and statements from Dignity Health and Gilbert Police.
