Italy: Child Receives Palliative Care After Failed Heart Transplant
Naples, Italy – Following complications after a heart transplant in December, seven-year-old Domenico will transition to palliative care focused on alleviating suffering, rather than pursuing further curative treatment. The decision, made in consultation with the child’s family and medical team at the Monaldi Hospital in Naples, prioritizes his comfort and quality of life.
Shift to Palliative Care
The move comes after experts determined Domenico’s condition is no longer compatible with another transplant. The family, through their lawyer Francesco Petruzzi, requested a “PCC” – Pianificazione Condivisa delle Cure (Shared Treatment Planning) – an approach introduced in Italy in 2017. This process aims to shift the focus of medical intervention from attempting a cure to managing pain and improving comfort. “It is not euthanasia, but it avoids aggressive treatment and passes the entire clinical therapy from recovery to alleviation of suffering,” explained Petruzzi according to Adnkronos.
The Monaldi Hospital has accepted the request and a collaborative plan involving parents and doctors will be implemented to manage Domenico’s pain. The hospital will begin planning the therapeutic pathway to alleviate the pain as announced by the family’s lawyer.
Timeline of Events
Domenico received a heart transplant on December 23rd, but complications arose. A multidisciplinary group of experts assessed the situation on February 6th, 45 days after the transplant, concluding that a second transplant was not viable. The family was informed of this assessment, leading to the decision to pursue palliative care.
The mother, Patrizia, expressed her sorrow, stating, “I’m sorry that what I did wasn’t enough for my son. I wish I had found out everything sooner. I want my son’s story not to be forgotten,” according to reports from Adnkronos and Fanpage.it.
Political Response and Investigation
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni called the mother, Patrizia Mercolino, on February 17, 2026, assuring her that “You’ll have justice,” and stating that everything possible was being done to find a new compatible donor heart according to the family’s lawyer, Francesco Petruzzi.
The case is under investigation as it is suspected the initial heart was damaged due to the use of dry ice for preservation during transport from a hospital in Bolzano to the Monaldi Hospital, instead of standard ice as reported by ANSA. The boy, Tommaso, has been on life support while awaiting a new donor organ, though the possibility of another transplant is uncertain.
Specialists from leading Italian hospitals, including Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, Padua University Hospital, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII – Bergamo Hospital, and Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin, convened on Wednesday, February 19, 2026, to assess the feasibility of another transplant operation according to reports from ANSA.
PCC (Shared Treatment Planning) in Italy
The PCC approach, implemented in Italy in 2017, focuses on shifting clinical therapy from healing to alleviating suffering, and is distinct from euthanasia as explained by Francesco Petruzzi.