• Child’s heart damaged during transport under improper conditions

• Two-year-old immediately placed on life support

An Italian toddler remains in critical condition after receiving a transplanted heart that was severely damaged during transport.

The heart, transferred from Bolzano to Naples last December, had been placed in an unsuitable container in direct contact with dry ice, causing extensive tissue damage.

The box also lacked a thermometer to alert the medical team of dangerously low temperatures.

The child’s family lawyer, Francesco Petruzzi, stated that the heart, donated by another young boy who had drowned, arrived “burned by frostbite.”

Prosecutors have launched an investigation, and six medical staff members have been formally placed under scrutiny.

Although the transplant was performed in December, the two-year-old had to be placed on life support immediately afterward.

The hospital reported that his condition is “stable but critical.”

Doctors warn that prolonged reliance on life support could lead to serious complications affecting the lungs, liver, and kidneys.

On Wednesday, a team of specialist doctors from major Italian hospitals will meet to determine whether the child is eligible for a new heart transplant.

The child’s mother, Patrizia Mercolino, told Italian media, “I am not giving up,” expressing hope that her son could still receive another donor heart. She has also appealed to the Pope for assistance in finding a suitable organ.

The family’s lawyer added that if doctors determine another transplant is not viable, they will seek a third medical opinion.

Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said: “We must fully clarify what happened. We owe it to the child, the family, and all Italians.” He added, “We have an excellent national health service capable of handling and almost always resolving complex situations, and citizens should not lose faith.”