Doctors shocked when man declared dead is found alive before organ removal

Doctors were shocked when they almost removed organs from a man who was still alive after being pronounced dead. Anthony Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II, 36, was rushed to a hospital in Richmond, Kentucky, in October 2021 due to a drug overdose, according to his sister Donna Rhorer.

Although pronounced dead, Rhorer noticed that TJ appeared to open his eyes and look around as he was transferred from the ICU to the operating room. “It was like he was saying, ‘Hey, I’m still here,’” Donna said. Family members were told that this was a reflex often seen after death.

Natasha Miller was responsible for preserving the organs for transplant and realized that TJ was alive despite his previous pronouncement. She noted, “He was tossing and turning on the bed. You could see tears streaming down your face. He was visibly crying.”

“Brain dead” man wakes up in the operating room shortly before having his organs extracted; dances at her sister’s wedding a year later: https://t.co/rdJpLlae5V

– Dr. Heidi Klessig (@heidiklessigmd) October 17, 2024

Miller said the responsible surgeon refused to proceed, which led a supervisor to instruct another doctor to be found, which was not possible, causing the coordinator distress. The organ recovery was then cancelled.

Several staff members, including Nyckoletta Martin, resigned following the incident. Martin, dedicated to organ donation and transplantation, expressed concern about the lack of protection for donors. Martin, who was not in the operating room that day, was shocked to learn of the signs of life during TJ’s cardiac catheterization.

“The donor woke up during the procedure and was struggling on the table,” Martin said. “Being conscious during surgery and knowing someone plans to remove your organs? This is horrible.” Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) said the situation was not accurately represented.

Julie Bergin, president and COO of Network for Hope, formed when KODA joined the LifeCenter Organ Donor Network, clarified: “No one at KODA has ever been pressured to harvest organs from a living patient. KODA does not recover organs from living patients and has never pressured its team members to do so.” TJ now resides with his sister, who is his legal guardian.