A man in Kentucky who was declared brain dead allegedly woke up on the operating table, just moments before his organs were due to be harvested.
Thomas T.J. Hoover, 36, was brought to the hospital in October 2021 after overdosing on drugs.
The alleged incident unfolded at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital and has sparked investigations and raised serious ethical concerns about organ donation procedures.
Doctors had declared him brain-dead and began preparations to harvest his organs, NPR reported.
However, as surgeons began the process to remove his organs, Hoover began to show signs of life.
Nyckoletta Martin, a former KODA employee, recalled that during the initial procedure to test Hoover’s heart, he became responsive.
"He was thrashing around on the table," Martin told NPR, claiming that doctors allegedly sedated him and continued the process.
Later, as surgeons prepared to remove Hoover’s organs, the situation reportedly escalated.
Natasha Miller, another former KODA employee present in the operating room, described the alarming scene: "He was moving around and was crying visibly."
Hoover’s sister, Donna Rhorer, said she grew concerned when her brother appeared to open his eyes while being wheeled from the Intensive Care Unit to the operating room.
“It was like it was his way of letting us know, you know, ‘Hey, I’m still here,’” she told NPR.
Medical staff, however, assured the family it was just a reflex and did not indicate consciousness.
Only after Hoover began moving and crying on the operating table did surgeons decide to halt the transplant.
But Miller alleged that a supervisor at KODA initially pushed for the procedure to continue, telling staff to "find another doctor."
"It was very chaotic," Miller said. "Everyone was just very upset."
The procedure was ultimately canceled, and several KODA employees resigned in the aftermath.
"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. "That’s horrifying."
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to organ donation and transplant,” Martin said. “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 has since become a whistleblower, submitting a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of an investigation into organ procurement practices.
She expressed concern about the lack of protections for donors, saying: "It’s very scary to me now that these things are allowed to happen, and there’s not more in place to protect donors."
KODA officials have denied any wrongdoing, stating that no member of their organization instructed doctors to proceed with an organ-harvesting procedure on a living patient.
Kentucky's Attorney General is currently investigating the incident, and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration has launched its own review.
Hoover survived the ordeal and has since made a remarkable recovery, though he continues to experience some difficulties with memory, walking, and speaking, per the New York Post.
He is currently living with his sister.
