Domenico Mercolino

Domenico Mercolino was a two-year-old boy from Italy who tragically died after a donor heart, which he desperately needed due to a congenital heart defect, was damaged during transport. Despite a long wait for a suitable organ, the heart was incorrectly cooled, rendering it unusable. He had been in the hospital for nearly two months, most of it in a coma, connected to an ECMO machine. His mother, Patrizia Mercolino, announced plans to establish a foundation in his name to honor his memory and assist other children in need of organ transplants.