Little Domenico, the two-year-old whose heart was severely damaged by being transported in contact with dry ice, has died . His heart stopped beating this morning at Monaldi Hospital, where he had been hospitalized for almost two months.
The family's lawyer, Francesco Petruzzi, told the journalists gathered in front of the hospital.
The phone call to the mother came in the middle of the night, at 4:00 a.m. "Come to the hospital," the doctors told her, as the situation had become critical. Now the woman will create a foundation in her son's name to help victims of medical errors and children who cannot receive transplants: "He's gone, it's over. But what happened to my Domenico must not be forgotten," she said in tears . "And now I ask for justice, I want the truth," the woman said. "Where do I find the strength? My son gives it to me."
"They called me last night, around 4:00, telling me the situation was getting worse, because the ECMO machine was starting to slow down. I stayed until the very end, until the machine had to be turned off: and that was it," Patrizia Mercolino said. "On Monday I'll go to the notary to sign a foundation in Domenico's name; my lawyer will handle it. I want to do it so Domenico isn't forgotten and to help other children."
Cardinal Mimmo Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, was also at the hospital, where he prayed alongside the child's mother and administered extreme unction.
"With deep sorrow, the Colli Hospital announces that this morning, Saturday, February 21, 2026, the young patient who underwent a transplant on December 23, 2025, passed away following a sudden and irreversible worsening of his clinical condition. The Strategic Management, along with all healthcare and non-healthcare professionals, expresses its deepest condolences and extends its deepest sympathy to the family in this moment of immense grief," reads a statement from the Colli Hospital, which includes the Monaldi Hospital.
On December 23, the little boy had received a transplant with a severely damaged heart, with “cold burns” because it was transported on dry ice, at a temperature between -75 and -80 degrees, while normal ice maintains temperatures just below 0 .
The child's agony is now over, while the Naples Prosecutor's Office continues its investigation into the transplant. The death worsens the situation of the six health workers under investigation, with more expected to be added soon: they will now face charges of manslaughter, no longer involving negligent assault. The NAS Carabinieri are already at the hospital; the investigators' next step is to seize the body.
The ongoing investigations aim to shed light on the chain of events that led to the damage to the organ, which was removed from Bolzano by a specially trained team from Naples. It arrived at its destination damaged by the extremely low temperatures to which it was exposed throughout the return journey.
The NAS investigation is also focusing on the purchase dates and availability of the latest-generation boxes, suitable for organ transport—disposable containers that cost approximately 7,000 euros.
According to Monaldi's internal audit, there were three unused refrigerants in the hospital. That day, an anachronistic refrigerant was chosen, no longer in compliance with guidelines, but which would have been effective if the right refrigerant had been used.
Neapolitan investigators are also awaiting the documents acquired in Bolzano by the Trento NAS (National Anti-Corruption Unit), which also contain testimonies gathered in an attempt to determine who procured the dry ice (mistakenly used instead of traditional ice). As is now known, the heart was implanted in the child, but it never restarted, forcing doctors to place the child on an ECMO, the machine that kept him alive until this morning . When it became clear that a second transplant was not possible, the doctors, in consultation with the family, decided to adopt a new plan that would avoid aggressive treatment, maintaining the ECMO but avoiding the administration of other therapies no longer relevant to the young patient's clinical condition.
(Unioneonline)