Patrizia Mercolino and Antonio Caliendo were guests at Mara Venier's show. "No one should ever forget him." Patrizia Mercolino, mother of little Domenico Caliendo, the boy who died at just two and a half years old after a heart transplant at Monaldi Hospital in Naples, was a guest today on Domenica In. Her husband, Antonio Caliendo, was at her side.
“A foundation in the name of Domenico”
The couple revisited the tragedy that struck their family and announced their intention to create a foundation in memory of their son: "I'm trying to create a foundation in his name, for him and for all those children who are victims of medical malpractice," his mother explained.
Domenico's ordeal began when he was just four months old: "Up until that point, he was fine. Then he started crying differently, and as a mother, I immediately knew something was wrong," Patrizia said. Rushed to the hospital in Nola, the baby was admitted to intensive care. Then the diagnosis was made: little Domenico was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy.
“They told us he had a 50% chance of dying. The first few months were very difficult: he couldn't run, sweat, or get tired. Then we learned to manage the disease and let him live as normal a life as possible. He was a warrior; he had an incredible will to live.”
The doctors had explained to his parents that the only hope was a heart transplant. "We knew that without a new heart, he would live five years at most. We've lived this whole time waiting."
Dominic's ordeal
Then, on December 22, 2025, at 7:00 PM, the call came. “The doctor told me there was a heart for Domenico. But I wasn't happy; I had a bad feeling. I couldn't cope with it.”
His father also recalls that moment with anguish. Antonio explained: “I was standing in front of the vending machine next to the intensive care unit with a friend and I thought, 'I'm taking him home.' I had a terrible feeling. But then Patrizia and I thought: if we take him away, what kind of parents are we?”
A doubt that still weighs on me today: "Sometimes I blame myself for not having followed that instinct. But it was the only chance to save him," said Patrizia, who recalled the morning of the surgery: "He was sedated, but he jumped into my arms, calling me 'Mom.' It was the last time he hugged me."
The operation was completed at 7:00 PM, but something went wrong: "A nurse told me the heart wouldn't start." The child was immediately placed on the waiting list for a second transplant. "I held out hope until the very end. I realized he couldn't be saved until the second heart arrived. At that moment, I felt like I'd been cheated."
The family said they learned only weeks later that Domenico's heart had arrived frozen: "No one told us. We found out from the newspapers on January 7th, while the operation was scheduled for December 23rd," his mother said.
The words of the lawyer
The family's lawyer, Francesco Petruzzi, who was present in Mara Venier's office, explained: "The dry ice isn't the only problem. The main issue would have been the lack of temperature monitoring during transport."
Despite the pain, Patrizia Mercolino promises to continue fighting for her son: "I promised him he'll get justice. The relevant authorities will take care of it. And we'll make sure no one forgets him. No other family should suffer like we're suffering." In contrast, his father Antonio was unable to express himself too much: "I'm really pissed off," he said, his voice breaking with tears.
The story is sad and it seems there was a lot of responsibility, but I can't judge with so little information. I hope the family finds justice and that the organ transportation procedures are clarified. We need more controls, transparency, and support for families so no one has to suffer.