The child, Domenico, who suffered from a severe heart condition, had been awaiting a transplant. The donor heart intended for him was transported from Bolzano to Naples but was kept at the wrong temperature during transit. Instead of being preserved at around 4°C, the organ was reportedly cooled to minus 80°C, causing extensive damage. According to reports, the heart was effectively frozen.
Because the boy no longer had a functioning heart of his own, surgeons proceeded with the transplant despite the damage. However, his condition deteriorated further. On Wednesday, doctors decided that attempting a second transplant would be futile, as other organs, including his kidneys, had begun to fail. Domenico was kept alive on life-support machines, but his condition worsened rapidly on Saturday and he passed away.
The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating six doctors along with other members of medical staff. The transport container used to carry the donor heart has been seized as evidence. The doctors involved have temporarily been barred from performing further heart transplants.
The case has sparked widespread anger, particularly after the child’s parents said they were not informed for weeks about what had gone wrong. The boy’s mother stated that she learned the details from the press rather than from the hospital.
