In a shocking incident that has raised serious questions about medical protocols, a Kentucky man, Thomas “TJ” Hoover II, narrowly escaped having his organs harvested after being wrongly declared brain dead.
Hoover, 36, had been admitted to Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in Kentucky in October 2021 following a drug overdose, where doctors initially determined he was brain dead and prepared to harvest his organs.
However, Hoover’s family and several medical professionals witnessed signs that he was still alive during this process. According to organ preservationist Natasha Miller, Hoover began showing signs of life just before the surgery was set to begin. “He was moving around — kind of thrashing.
Like, moving, thrashing around on the bed,” said Miller. Most disturbingly, Hoover was seen crying, with tears visibly rolling down his face.
Hoover’s sister, Donna Rhorer, had already raised concerns about her brother’s condition. She noticed that his eyes were moving as medical staff transferred him from the Intensive Care Unit to the operating room, where his organs were to be removed.
“It was like it was his way of letting us know, you know, ‘Hey, I’m still here,’” Rhorer said. Despite these clear signs of activity, doctors initially dismissed her concerns, attributing the movements to involuntary reflexes.
It wasn’t until Hoover began crying and moving that medical staff finally halted the organ retrieval process. By then, Hoover’s case had already been escalated to Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA). According to Miller, a case worker had called KODA to report Hoover’s condition, but a supervisor reportedly insisted that the organ harvesting proceed and told the hospital to “find another doctor” to continue the procedure.
The incident caused significant turmoil among medical staff. The organ retrieval operation was ultimately canceled, but the emotional toll left several hospital employees shaken.
Some even quit their jobs in protest. One of them was Nyckoletta Martin, an organ preservationist who resigned after the traumatic experience. “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?” Martin said.
Following the ordeal, Martin submitted a formal letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, urging them to investigate the flaws in the organ procurement system.
She highlighted Hoover’s case as a disturbing example of how dangerous oversights and misjudgments can lead to tragic consequences. “It’s very scary to me now that these things are allowed to happen, and there’s not more in place to protect donors,” Martin told reporters.
Despite these concerns, officials from KODA have denied that any inappropriate pressure was placed on staff to procure organs from living patients. Julie Bergen, the chief operating officer for KODA, stated, “No one at KODA has ever been pressured to collect organs from any living patient. KODA does not recover organs from living patients. KODA has never pressured its team members to do so.”
Hoover survived the ordeal but now faces long-term health challenges. According to his sister, he has ongoing issues with his memory and has difficulty walking and talking. Rhorer, who now serves as Hoover’s legal guardian, expressed anger at how the situation unfolded.
“They are trying to play God,” she claimed, accusing the hospital and organ procurement organizations of being too quick to decide on harvesting organs. “They’re almost, you know, picking and choosing – they’re going to take this person to save these people.”
The case has sparked national attention, with calls for increased safeguards in the organ donation process to prevent similar situations in the future. Hoover’s story serves as a chilling reminder of the potential risks in declaring brain death too quickly, and the need for greater oversight in life-or-death decisions involving organ donation.