New details emerge in case of organ donor who woke up in operating room as surgeons prepared to remove his body parts
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions and images which some readers may find distressing.
A man who was pronounced dead woke up moments before his organs were to be harvested.
Anthony Thomas Hoover II was rushed to hospital following a drug overdose back in 2021 before doctors revealed to his family, who know him as TJ, that he had passed away.
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Just hours later, the now 36-year-old was prepped for surgery to remove his body parts at Baptist Health hospital in Richmond, Kentucky.
But as he was being wheeled into the operating room, those present immediately realized something was very wrong as he began to move.
Natasha Miller works as an organ donor preserver for Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliated (KODA) and told NPR she was there when Hoover was wheeled into the operating theater.
The staff present were all left dumbfounded when they saw the patient 'thrashing around on the bed,' Miller going over to him and finding he had 'tears coming down' his face.
But why was the turnaround so quick?
Well, according to Life Source, an organ donation charity, organs like the heart and lungs are the most sensitive to a lack of blood flow and can only remain viable for transplant for roughly four to six hours - while intestines and the liver must be transplanted within eight to 16 hours.
So, with organ donors there is a bit of a rush.
Now, new details in the case have emerged as TJ's sister Donna Rohrer has revealed the reasoning behind his behavior on the day of the incident.
She told CNN that he began taking drugs due to depression, anxiety and PTSD - something he developed after he witnessed human corpses following the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which hit the US back in 2005.
On his late mom's birthday he took an unspecified amount of drugs and collapsed while loading his car.
When EMTs arrived he had no pulse, days later doctors said there was no signs of brain activity and his family opted to end his life support and allowed for his organs to be donated - something he wanted.
Baptist Health Richmond said in a statement to UNILAD: "The safety of our patients is always our highest priority. We work closely with our patients and their families to ensure our patients’ wishes for organ donation are followed."
Meanwhile, KODA confirmed Miller was assigned to the case and operating theater.
However, the organ procurement organization alleges the case 'has not been accurately represented,' arguing 'no one at KODA has ever been pressured to collect organs from any living patient'.
Julie Bergin, president and chief operating officer for Network for Hope, which was formed when KODA merged with the LifeCenter Organ Donor Network continued: "KODA does not recover organs from living patients. KODA has never pressured its team members to do so."
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations has also written an open letter condemning 'misinformation' for causing a 'drop in registered donors and threatening lives of patients'.
TJ is since on a journey to recovery, being supported by his sister who is spreading awareness about the case on her TikTok page.
The case is being investigated and overseen by the Kentucky Attorney General's Office.
The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office is also looking into the case. The state’s AG Russell Coleman told The Independent: “Our office has been in contact with advocates and members of Kentucky’s federal delegation regarding this horrific allegation.
"In collaboration with our Kentucky law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue reviewing the facts to identify an appropriate response."
Joe Yates