Arizona toddler found breathing in morgue hours after hospital declared him dead

An Arizona couple have questioned the care their 18-month-old son received after he was declared dead at hospital, then found breathing in the morgue more than five hours later. His mother, Alexus Fiordilino, has described the ordeal and the moment the family were told to say goodbye, raising concerns about how the decision to stop resuscitation was made.

Vincent Fiordilino was found face down in the family’s pool in Gilbert on 8 February, and was taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. His doctor pronounced him dead at 6.20pm, citing severely acidic blood and the prospect of a poor quality of life; the family say they noticed signs of breathing, which staff attributed to agonal breathing. A medical examiner’s transport team later found him alive and he was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.