In a startling case from Arizona, an 18-month-old boy named Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was pronounced dead at a hospital but was later found breathing in the morgue almost six hours afterwards. This unusual incident took place at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center on a Super Bowl Sunday evening. Initially, he was declared deceased at 6:20pm after nearly drowning in his family’s pool but was discovered alive around 11:52pm in the hospital’s morgue.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is now investigating this incident, and police have suggested the boy’s parents could face child abuse charges. The Gilbert Police Department stated that Vincent has since been released from the hospital, although they are questioning the conditions that led to his near-drowning.
According to a police report sourced by NBC affiliate KPNX, the investigation indicates the parents may have been distracted by the Super Bowl and, possibly under the influence of substances, did not notice their child heading towards the pool. It’s reported that both parents admitted to smoking marijuana on the day of the incident.
The same report notes that Dr. A. Toosi, the physician who declared the boy dead, was questioned by a police officer about his decision while the child was still showing signs of life. Toosi reportedly responded, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”
The report narrates that at 6:13pm, Dr. Toosi was seen checking his phone before informing the parents of Vincent’s supposed death and officially declaring it at 6:20pm. A moment of silence was then requested. Despite this, there were reports from the parents and police officers that Vincent was still gasping for air during this time.
Aryan Toosi, a doctor associated with the hospital, directed inquiries to attorney Scott Holden, who stated that “there is much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far.”
Once his heartbeat was detected, Vincent was transported to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Fortunately, he avoided any severe brain damage despite initial concerns about his recovery prospects.
A GoFundMe campaign created by the family describes Vincent as “the miracle baby,” thanks to his impressive recovery, although he will need long-term therapy and monitoring. The page notes that he is currently breathing with ventilator support.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center has conducted an internal review of the event but has not disclosed the results or shared the employment status of Dr. Toosi. UNILAD has reached out to both the medical center and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for further comments.