‘It’s an unexplainable feeling’ - Arizona mom whose son was found alive in hospital morgue speaks out

The mother of an 18-month-old toddler found alive in an Arizona hospital morgue more than five hours after being pronounced dead spoke out on Wednesday, recalling that she initially believed she heard her son breathing when hugging him goodbye.
 

Alexus Fiordilino, 30, said she relied on the judgment of Dr. Aryan Toosi at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona, who pronounced her son, Vincent, dead at 6:20 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday following a near-drowning incident in the family pool.
 

"As a mom you don't want to hear that," Fiordilino said. "I didn't want him to suffer. It seemed to be they'd done everything they could. And then he called it."
 

A little over five hours later, while police were interviewing Fiordilino and her husband, Angelo, a detective informed them that a medical examiner’s employee sent to retrieve Vincent's body discovered the child was still breathing.

"My husband and I just screamed in relief," Fiordilino recalled. "We were praising the Lord. We were crying. To go from hearing he was gone and then finding out he isn't gone, it's an unexplainable feeling."
 

Gilbert police initially recommended child abuse charges against the parents after both admitted to using marijuana earlier that morning, but Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced in July that no charges would be filed.

Family attorney John Brewer announced plans to file a formal complaint against Dr. Toosi and the hospital, citing medical records that show key blood test results used to justify stopping life-saving efforts were not completed until after Vincent was pronounced dead.
 

"The parents were faced with having to decide whether to keep trying to revive their son, and the doctor provided them with false information," Brewer stated. "That's beyond a conscious disregard for human life."
 

While the Arizona Attorney General's office considers whether to review the matter, Dr. Toosi's legal team issued a statement offering thoughts and prayers for the child's recovery, maintaining that the doctor’s care remains rooted in comfort and safety. Mercy Gilbert Medical Center termed the incident "heartbreaking," citing patient privacy for its inability to comment directly on care details.

Although Vincent survived, Brewer confirmed he faces severe, lifelong health complications, including a severe brain injury, an inability to swallow or sit up independently, and frequent seizures.