An Arizona mother is speaking out after her 18-month-old son was found alive in a hospital morgue, hours after a doctor had declared him death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to shocking reports, Alexus Fiordilino and her husband Angelo found their toddler, Vincent, face down in their family swimming pool in February, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They performed life-saving measures and Vincent was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre. As per a GoFundMe , he had been underwater for approximately five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the hospital, emergency room doctor Aryan Toosi declared the toddler dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a recent interview with ABC15 , mom Alexus recalled: \u201cWhen I got to the hospital, I thought, \u2018okay\u2019, these people are going to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexus claimed he then told hospital staff to stop CPR, saying: \u201cAs long as there are no objections, I\u2019d like to call time of death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite being declared dead by the doctor, Alexus says her mother-in-law thought she could hear him breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy mother-in-law is there, and she goes over, and she hugs him,\u201d Alexus told ABC15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd she\u2019s like, hey. It sounds like he\u2019s breathing and I was like, what? They\u2019re like, oh, it\u2019s normal. It\u2019s normal that it\u2019s gonna sound like that, but that\u2019s normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The family were reportedly told this sound was \u2018agonal breathing\u2019, an involuntary brainstem reflex characterized by gasping, labored, and irregular breathing. It is described as an indication that the brain is severely deprived of oxygen and that death may be imminent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hours later, however, Vincent was found alive in the hospital morgue by staff preparing to transport his body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe was alone. He was alone for five-and-a-half hours. How do you do that to a baby?\u201d Alexus told ABC15 .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vincent was transferred to Phoenix Children\u2019s Hospital, where an MRI scan revealed he had suffered extensive brain damage and would require life-long care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As per reports, the Arizona Attorney General\u2019s Office will review an investigation into the matter, while questions are now being asked about the timing of a blood gas test used to support Dr. Toosi\u2019s decision to declare the boy dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawyer John Brewer, working on behalf of the Fiordilino family, said that Toosi had cited Vincent\u2019s blood gas results when explaining his decision to declare Vincent dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The toddler\u2019s death was officially logged at 6:20 p.m., while the blood gas tests results were reportedly not received until 6:38 p.m., 18 minutes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, records reviewed by ABC15 investigators are said to allege that Dr. Toosi did not take Vincent\u2019s core body temperature or carry out warming measures, in part due to the blood gas test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scott Holden, a lawyer for Dr Toosi, said that his client\u2019s thoughts were with Vincent and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis commitment to delivering high-quality care has always been rooted in a desire to provide healing, safety and comfort to his community,\u201d Holden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDue to pending litigation and patient privacy laws, we cannot speak to the details of the care provided at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Vincent\u2019s family, the review is about more than the sequence recorded on a chart. They are seeking an explanation for decisions that changed their child\u2019s life and left them facing a future of continuing care. Their questions remain part of an ongoing dispute, alongside the doctor\u2019s response and the privacy limits surrounding the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n