Toddler found alive in morgue after pool scare now at center of abuse review
Dr. Soma shares essential water safety tips for families on Memorial Day
Pediatric emergency medicine physician and mother of two children, Dr. Gauthama Soma offers critical water safety advice for families this Memorial Day weekend. He emphasizes “touch control” for children near water, emphasizing that drownings often occur silently and that accidental deaths in young children are largely preventable. Dr. Soma also recommends parents have their children wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket and learn CPR.
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Police in Arizona have recommended that investigators file felony child abuse charges against the parents of an 18-month-old boy who admitted to using marijuana and failed to properly supervise him at a Super Bowl party earlier this year. The child attracted nationwide attention when he was found alive in a hospital morgue hours later after being mistakenly declared dead.
The Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the Gilbert Police Department’s recommendation that Vincent Fiordilino’s parents face felony child abuse charges, AZFamily reports. No charges were made.
Investigators said Vincent disappeared from his parents’ view during the meeting, then guests found him floating face down in the backyard swimming pool. Both parents later admitted to smoking marijuana during the party, according to a police report obtained by AZFamily. The report claims that Vincent’s fall into the pool went unnoticed because both parents were impaired by marijuana and/or other mind-altering substances.
After Vincent was pulled from the water, first responders transported him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, and a doctor pronounced him dead that evening, according to police. According to police, the case took an extraordinary turn hours later when the child was transferred to the hospital’s morgue around 7:23 p.m., when medical staff discovered he was alive and breathing. Vincent was immediately airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment.
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Vincent Fiordilino is shown in a family photo shared through a GoFundMe campaign supporting his recovery. (GoFundMe)
The police report alleged that responding officers and Vincent’s parents questioned whether the little boy was actually dead before he was pronounced dead and said they believed he was still showing signs of life. Hospital staff reportedly said Vincent was experiencing agonal breathing, an involuntary reflex that can occur at the time of death.
A nurse later reported detecting a pulse after the child was pronounced dead, according to the report. Detectives alleged that the doctor who made the initial determination maintained his assessment was accurate and instructed hospital staff to withhold life-saving measures despite concerns from Vincent’s parents and responding officers that the toddler appeared to still be breathing. Police did not recommend filing criminal charges against the physician, according to AZFamily.
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Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, Ariz. An 18-month-old boy was taken to the hospital after nearly drowning in a backyard pool before he was wrongly declared dead, according to police. (Google Maps)
According to AZFamily, a Dignity Health spokesperson said the hospital conducted an investigation following the incident.
“This is a heartbreaking situation. We immediately conducted a comprehensive review of all aspects of the care provided to find out what happened and make meaningful changes to strengthen our care,” the spokesperson said in a statement. he said. “Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representatives. Patient safety and exceptional care are our top priority.”
A GoFundMe campaign created for the family described Vincent as a “miracle baby” after surviving the ordeal.
“Vincent was pronounced dead,” the fundraiser says. “Their devastated parents were sent home in unimaginable pain. But God had other plans. A little after 11:30 p.m., the family received the call no one expected: The coroner had detected a faint heartbeat.”
Vincent Fiordilino is depicted in a portrait. Prosecutors are reviewing a police recommendation that his parents face serious child abuse charges. (GoFundMe)
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According to the fundraiser, Vincent’s kidneys, lungs and liver began to shut down after he arrived at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. An MRI initially detected two small areas of potential brain damage, but later tests reportedly found no brain damage. The fundraiser says Vincent continues to require extensive therapy and ongoing medical monitoring and treatment as he recovers.
Fox News Digital has contacted the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office, Gilbert Police Department, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital for comment.
