3-year-old Angelos gave life to others following his death. After suffering torture at the hands of his mother and stepfather, the little boy breathed his last while his organs were donated for transplant.

Vassilis Vougas, director of the transplant surgery clinic, spoke to STAR about the shocking moments that unfolded at Pagni: “”I was the first one when I saw his little body and I said ‘oh my God, what are we going to do now? How can we remove vital grafts from such a small body?”

“The great emotion that a man, a father, feels when he sees a little body on the operating table for organ removal It is a moving and shocking moment, but also a moment when experience, duty, and science must speak, by removing the transplants, other people will be saved.”

“It was a very moving moment, a moment when you see a little hero. He was an angel on earth and now he is an angel in heaven,” he said.

The 3-year-old was given a heartfelt farewell by doctors and nurses. “The atmosphere was heavy throughout the night, as we all—whether in the pediatric unit or the operating rooms—shared in society’s collective hope to keep the child alive. Sadly, that hope was not fulfilled,” said Dimitris Vrysalis, president of the PAGNI employees’ union.

For her part, the head of the National Transplant Organization, Yuli Menoudakou, said that “it was one of the most difficult cases we have handled. Watching the case, we despaired of the donation because it would have meant the death of Angelos.”

The heart of 3-year-old Angelos will be transplanted to a 3-year-old child in Berlin, Germany, and the kidneys to a 37-year-old man at the Hippocrates Hospital in Thessaloniki. The Pagni administration, in a statement, referred to the child’s background and the brave decision taken by his grandmother to donate his organs while stressing that this decision is an “example to follow.”

A detailed statement from the PAGNI administration:

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, a 3-year-old child with severe craniocerebral injuries was hospitalized at the University General Hospital Heraklion (PAGNI). Despite the efforts of the hospital’s staff, and especially the Children’s ICU, where he was hospitalized, the child ended up dying.

The child’s grandmother, after being informed of the brain death, requested the donation of his organs and immediately the entire hospital, in cooperation with the Heraklion Prosecutor’s Office, rallied in this direction.

On Monday, February 3, the Greek Transplantation Organization (EOM) was informed and the necessary procedures for the evaluation and reception of the offered organs were quickly initiated.

At 3.00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4, the surgery began, with the arrival of a surgical team from Berlin, Germany, to receive the heart transplant and the corresponding team from the Kidney Transplant Unit of the Evangelismos General Hospital. According to the EOM’s information, the heart transplant is intended for a candidate recipient of a similar age, while the kidney transplant is intended for a candidate recipient registered in the National Registry of our country.

All procedures were conducted in full compliance with legal and medical standards to support organ donation and transplantation, in collaboration with the NOM.

Finally, it is noted that in the complex process of Organ Donation, which requires the close and coordinated cooperation of our hospital staff, PAGNI remains committed to supporting both donors and prospective recipients. We hope that this act of solidarity will set an example for all hospitals, health care providers and our fellow human beings to follow.

The Hospital Management expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the child, with the hope that even in such tragic circumstances, the donation and the thought of saving other people, through little Angelo, will ease their pain even in the slightest way.

The surgeons’ bow to the Angelos

Before the procedure to remove little Angelo’s organs began, the doctors observed a minute’s silence in memory of the little boy who so unjustly passed away.

“One minute silence” by the surgical teams, as a minimum tribute, to little Angelos, who gave life to our sick fellow human beings. Warm thanks to the Administration, the Children’s ICU, and all the staff of the Heraklion General Hospital, as well as to the Prosecutor’s Office of Heraklion, for the excellent cooperation. Endless respect for the grandmother of the little boy for the decision to donate. We hope that this act will ease her unspeakable pain,” the Hellenic Transplantation Organization said in a post.