Gilbert toddler found alive after declared dead

Fox - 10 Phoenix
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Oct 27, 2026
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We're hearing from the mother
of a Gilbert toddler found alive in a hospital hours after
the doctor declared him dead.
Police say the 18-month-old was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical
Center back in February after being found unresponsive
in the family pool. Megan Spector
sat down with the boy's mom and their attorney today.
Megan. Eight months after that young boy
survived a horrifying medical nightmare,
his mom says she still carries that trauma of what
happened inside that hospital.
Tonight, she's pushing for answers and accountability.
They failed him that day.
Nearly five hours after the doctor called time of death,
18-month-old Vincent Fiordolino
was found alive in the hospital's cold room.
Above all else, I'm grateful that I still have
my son and that I could see him every day.
But that gratitude is paired with frustration and anger.
Police reports and body cam footage show officers and family members
repeatedly warned hospital staff
that the boy still seemed to be breathing,
even after being pronounced dead. I couldn't believe it.
I didn't really want to until I had
to say my goodbyes. And then even then,
like feeling him, it felt like he breathed. He was
trying to breathe. And they kept on telling me
that it was just agonal breathing. How many people
have to say I think he's breathing?
Mom, dad, grandma, police officer. The family's attorney
is also alleging critical oversight,
saying medical records show Vincent was declared dead
before oxygen test results came back
and that staff failed to check his core body temperature.
They looked at him and said it wasn't worth it
and that's like that's what really bothers me the
most. It's like they just they just wrote him off
and I don't know why and I just don't want to know
why. Eight months later Vincent is alive
but the fight is far from over. Compared to that I mean
he's he's okay but uh it's every every day is a struggle for him.
It's hard watching him kind of
struggled through certain things and it's just difficult.
His whole life has changed. Everything
he was able to do before, he can't.
The family's attorney will be filing a complaint against the
doctor and the hospital this week.
The whole thing, there's warning signs after warning signs
and this just isn't on the doctor.
This is on the hospital as well. I mean, how do they permit
permit him to do that?
Both the hospital and the doctor's attorney would not discuss the care
provided, citing patient privacy and pending litigation.
The Arizona Attorney General's
Office said it has not decided whether to review this case.
In studio, Megan Spector, Fox 10 News.
