In a shocking turn of events, a man declared brain dead came back to life moments before doctors were preparing to remove his heart for organ donation, according to Metro.
Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II, 36, was admitted to Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in Kentucky due to a drug overdose in October 2021 and was later declared brain dead.
Nyckoletta Martin, a former employee of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) who reviewed the case notes said that he was thrashing around on the table.
‘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,’ Martin added.
Another KODA worker, Natasha Miller, reported that Hoover showed signs of life even as he was being transported from the intensive care unit to the operating room. She said, “He was moving around – kind of thrashing. And then when we went over there, you could see he had tears coming down. He was crying visibly.”
Shockingly, according to Miller, the KODA coordinator coldly insisted on finding another doctor to proceed with the organ removal.
However, Julie Bergen, president and chief operating officer for Network for Hope, an organisation formed when KODA merged with the LifeCenter Organ Donation Network, denied the allegations.
“No one at KODA has ever been pressured to collect organs from any living patient,” said Bergen. Baptist Health Richmond also maintained that patient safety is their highest priority and that they work closely with patients and families to ensure their wishes for organ donation are respected.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Attorney General and US Health Services Resources Administration are currently investigating the alleged incident.
Hoover, who survived the ordeal, is now living with his sister, Donna Rhorer, who has become his legal guardian. Since the incident, Hoover has experienced difficulties with memory, walking, and talking, highlighting the profound impact of this traumatic experience on his life.