Thomas “TJ” Hoover II was ready to undergo organ removal surgery but woke up, scaring the entire team
An organ donor has been declared dead in a hospital in Kentucky, US, after overdosing. However, as they were preparing him for surgery to remove organs for donation, Thomas “TJ” Hoover II, 36, woke up in the operating room. The story was told by the employees of the health unit, who say they were traumatized by the situation.
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According to the newspaper NPRthe case occurred in October 2021, at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital. The boy was rushed to hospital after a drug overdose and was declared brain dead the same day.
His sister, Donna Rhorer, said she became concerned when Hoover opened his eyes and looked around as he was taken from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the operating room. “It was like his way of letting us know, ‘Hey, I’m still here,’” he said. However, she and her family were told that it was just a common reflex.
One of the former employees of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (Koda) – an organization that donates organs – Natasha Miller, says she was preparing to do her job when she noticed that the donor looked “very alive”, contrary to what she had seen the declared doctor.
“He was moving, like he was shaking. Like, moving, squirming on the bed, and then when we went there, you could see he had tears in his eyes. He was visibly crying,” she recalls.
Soon, the team called Koda and the supervisor said that they “would handle this case anyway” and that the hospital needed to “find another doctor.” “It was very chaotic. Everyone was very upset,” he says.
With Hoover alive, the procedure was cancelled. A few hours later, some of the organization’s employees resigned over the incident. “I have dedicated my entire life to organ donation and transplantation. It’s very scary to me now that these things can happen and there’s nothing left to protect donors,” Nyckoletta Martin said.
Although the former employee had not been assigned to that procedure, she thought she might have been. He also reviewed case notes earlier in the day. She was alarmed when she read that the donor showed signs of life when doctors tried to examine his heart.
“The donor woke up that morning during the cardiac catheterization procedure. And he was struggling on the table,” Martin says. He also clarified that doctors sedated the patient upon awakening and that plans to recover his organs continued.
“This is everyone’s worst nightmare, right? Being alive during surgery and knowing that someone will cut you open and take parts of your body? This is horrible.
Also according to Martin, several employees who worked with transplants had to resort to therapy after the accident, including her. He has since reported the case, sending a letter to the State House Committee on the incident as the court held a hearing to investigate organ donation organizations.
The president and chief operating officer of Network for Hope – formed by the merger of Koda and LifeCenter Organ Donation Network – Julie Bergen denied the incident. “No one in Koda has ever been forced to take organs from living patients,” he said NPR.
The Kentucky Attorney General and the U.S. Health Services Resources Administration are investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Rhorer says her brother had memory, walking and speech problems after the accident, and she had to become his legal guardian.
“I’m really angry. I feel betrayed that people told us he was brain dead, and then he woke up. They’re trying to play God. They’re almost choosing, they’re going to get this person to save others. It gets a little lost.” trust in humanity,” he concluded.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
