The forenses transporter who saved a life: The moment a technician saw a 'dead' baby moving under the morgue sheet

Alexus Fiordilino will never forget the moment when she hugged her 18-month-old son, Vincent, to say goodbye to him and thought she heard that he was still breathing. The doctor treating him assured her that these were his final gasps and confirmed his death. However, five hours later, the family received a call that changed everything: the little boy was alive and had been found breathing in the morgue of a hospital in Arizona.

The incident occurred almost nine months ago at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, in the town of Gilbert, and has caused renewed shock after new details about what happened came to light. In an interview with NBC News, Fiordilino, 30, acknowledged that she still regrets not trusting her instinct when she thought she sensed that her son was still alive. "As a mother, you don’t want to hear that. I didn’t want him to suffer. It seemed like they had done everything possible," she explained, recalling the words of Dr. Aryan Toosi, who allegedly told her that trying new maneuvers to save the little boy would only prolong his agony.

Vincent suffered an alleged drowning and was treated at the hospital. However, he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday. Nevertheless, several testimonies collected in police reports indicate that the child may have continued showing signs of breathing after his death had been certified.

'The officers heard "gasping" after his death'

The case has raised doubts about the actions of the healthcare staff. According to police reports, the officers who were in the emergency department observed that the little boy seemed to still be having difficulty breathing after having been declared dead. One of the police officers said he had heard "an audible gasp." When he returned approximately an hour later to photograph the body, he stated that he again observed what appeared to be "a gasp or a release of air."

The nurse, for her part, maintained that it was agonal breathing and explained that it could be related to the compressions, the oxygen, and the possible pressure exerted by the family members as they said goodbye to the child. However, when the medical examiner's team arrived hours later to collect the body, they realized that Vincent was still breathing. By then, around five hours had passed since his death had been certified.

The family then received the news that the little boy was still alive, although he needed hospital care and medical assistance. "My husband and I screamed with relief. We were praising the Lord. We were crying. Going from hearing that he was gone to finding out that he is not gone is an indescribable feeling," Fiordilino recalled.

The family is preparing a complaint against the doctor and the hospital

Medical conduct is now at the center of the controversy. The mother's lawyer, John Brewer, has announced that he plans to file a formal complaint against Dr. Toosi and the hospital over what happened. "The parents were forced to decide whether they should keep trying to resuscitate their son and the doctor provided them with false information," stressed the attorney, who believes that what happened constitutes a serious lack of respect for human life.

For his part, the doctor's defense has expressed regret over the situation and wished the child a speedy recovery. "Dr. Toosi extends his sympathies to the young patient and his family, and wishes the child a speedy recovery," it said in a statement in which he also reaffirmed his commitment to quality medical care. As for the hospital, it described what happened as "heartbreaking," although it declined to offer details about the care provided to the minor for privacy reasons. "Patient safety and exceptional care are our highest priorities," it said in a statement. The Prosecutor's Office had not yet made a decision on reviewing the case at the time this information was released.

The little boy suffers a severe brain injury and is recovering at home

The little boy's story has also been surrounded by controversy from the beginning. After the alleged drowning, Gilbert Police recommended filing child abuse charges against the parents, after both admitted they had lost sight of Vincent during a party held for the Super Bowl. According to the police report, they also admitted to having smoked marijuana that morning. Ultimately, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that no charges would be filed against Alexus Fiordilino and her husband.

Now, the family's main concern is the boy's health. Vincent suffers from a severe brain injury, cannot swallow, has seizures, and cannot sit up or crawl on his own, according to the information released about his condition. Despite the aftereffects, the little boy has been able to return home, where he continues recovering with his parents. His case has reopened the debate over the circumstances of his declaration of death and the possible responsibilities arising from what happened at the hospital.