"No price for my son, now the doctors' trial." The civil settlement doesn't stop mother Patrizia.

Naples – The closure of the civil front is only a prelude to the real legal battle. This is the clear and firm message that Patrizia Mercolino, mother of little Domenico Caliendo, wanted to send after signing the out-of-court settlement with the Colli Hospital for the tragic death of her son, the victim of a failed heart transplant.

A strategic, not financial, decision aimed at clearing the deck for the upcoming criminal trial. "Our priority was to conclude this case before the trial, and thanks in part to Monaldi Hospital, we succeeded," she explained. "The cost, as I've always reiterated, didn't matter to me at all. The only important thing was to get to the criminal trial without the added burden of civil proceedings."

The promise to Domenico

The pain of this immeasurable loss now merges with the determination of those who demand truth and justice in the courtroom. On the very day of the child's name day, his mother went to visit him, bringing with her an update that sounds like a solemn promise. "What did I tell him? He smiles, I see him smile all the time.

I whispered to him: 'Mom's love, the trial is almost here, we're almost there,'" Patrizia Mercolino confided. Her thoughts now turn to the first hearing: "That day I will look them in the eyes, one by one. I already know it will be very emotionally difficult, but I owe it to my son."

His mother, Patrizia, transformed her grief into an intense social battle: she founded the "Domenico Caliendo Foundation" to legally and morally assist other families who have been victims of child medical malpractice, brought his complaint to the attention of Pope Leo XIV, and co-authored, with lawyer Francesco Petruzzi, the book "A Burnt Heart," recently presented to the Chamber of Deputies. Now, having received compensation for the civil plaintiff, the family awaits the criminal justice process.