Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions and images which may be upsetting to some readers.
A startling incident occurred when an organ donor, declared dead, reportedly regained consciousness and began ‘thrashing’ just before an organ retrieval surgery.
In October 2021, Anthony Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II was taken to the hospital following a drug overdose, according to his sister, Donna Rhorer.
He was pronounced dead, and as an organ donor, preparations were made to recover his organs at Baptist Health hospital in Richmond, Kentucky. However, as medical staff wheeled him into the operating room, they quickly realized something was amiss—he was moving.
Natasha Miller, an organ donor preserver for Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliated (KODA), was present during the incident and recounted to NPR what happened.
The hospital staff were shocked to see the patient ‘thrashing around on the bed,’ with Miller noting that he had ‘tears coming down’ his face.
The surgeon who was to perform the procedure immediately stepped back, leaving the team ‘very upset’ by the ‘chaotic’ situation. The incident was so distressing that some KODA employees reportedly resigned.
The organ retrieval was halted, and a coordinator contacted the supervisor, explaining that the doctors refused to proceed and that another surgeon would be needed for the surgery to continue.
The supervisor allegedly responded harshly, insisting there was ‘no one else’ available.
But how did TJ end up in the operating room in the first place?
Donna, TJ’s sister, has used social media to raise awareness about the incident, sharing a screenshot of the pre-procedure checklist from Baptist Health hospital, which indicated he was ‘declared brain-dead’ based on the ASA Scale Assessment.
Another organ preservationist, Nyckoletta Martin, was not directly involved in TJ’s case but reviewed the case notes as she thought she might be asked to assist.
She claims that during a cardiac catheterization—’a test or treatment for certain heart or blood vessel issues, like clogged arteries or irregular heartbeats,’ according to the Mayo Clinic—earlier that day, TJ regained consciousness but was sedated again, and plans for organ recovery continued.
TJ’s sister believed she saw him open his eyes on the way to surgery, but was assured it was a common reflex.
Martin commented: “That’s everybody’s worst nightmare, right? Being alive during surgery and knowing that someone is going to cut you open and take your body parts out? That’s horrifying.”
Despite not being directly involved, Martin was deeply disturbed by the incident, finding it ‘scary’ that ‘these things are allowed to happen’ without ‘more in place to protect donors.’ She was among the workers who later resigned, with some alleging they needed therapy due to the traumatic experience.
Baptist Health Richmond has addressed the incident in a statement: “The safety of our patients is always our highest priority. We work closely with our patients and their families to ensure our patients’ wishes for organ donation are followed.”
KODA confirmed Miller’s assignment to the case and operating room.
However, the organization contends that the case ‘has not been accurately represented,’ emphasizing that ‘no one at KODA has ever been pressured to collect organs from any living patient’.
Julie Bergin, president and chief operating officer for Network for Hope, which formed from the merger of KODA and the LifeCenter Organ Donor Network, stated: “KODA does not recover organs from living patients. KODA has never pressured its team members to do so.”
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations has issued an open letter condemning ‘misinformation’ for leading to a ‘drop in registered donors and threatening lives of patients’.
TJ is now on a path to recovery with the support of his sister, who is raising awareness about the case on her TikTok account.
The case is under investigation by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.
The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office is also probing the case. State AG Russell Coleman told The Independent: “Our office has been in contact with advocates and members of Kentucky’s federal delegation regarding this horrific allegation. In collaboration with our Kentucky law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue reviewing the facts to identify an appropriate response.”