In a harrowing medical mishap, a Kentucky man declared brain dead after a drug overdose regained consciousness on the operating table as surgeons prepared to harvest his organs. Anthony Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II, then 33, faced this nightmare in 2021 at Baptist Health hospital in Richmond, Kentucky, following his admission for the overdose.
The Overdose and Initial Diagnosis
Hoover turned to drugs amid struggles with depression, anxiety, and PTSD from witnessing deaths during hurricanes Rita and Katrina. He had lost two brothers to overdoses and his mother months earlier. On what would have been her birthday in October 2021, he collapsed while loading his car after taking unspecified drugs. Paramedics found no pulse, and at the hospital, doctors noted no reflexes, brain damage, and a vacant stare, leading to a brain death declaration.
As a registered organ donor, his family consented to life support removal to allow organ donation. The hospital even held a ceremony to honor him as his organs underwent assessment.
Early Signs of Life Overlooked
Hoover’s sister, Donna Rhorer, noticed him open his eyes and look around frantically while being wheeled from the ICU to the operating theater. Staff dismissed it as a reflex. “We were told it was just reflexes – just a normal thing,” Rhorer stated. “Who are we to question the medical system?”
During a cardiac catheterization to evaluate his heart for transplant, Hoover woke up and thrashed on the table. Doctors sedated him, and organ retrieval plans continued.
Terror on the Operating Table
In the operating room, draped under a surgical sheet, Hoover began thrashing and crying visibly. Natasha Miller, a former Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) employee present, recalled: “He was moving around – kind of thrashing, like moving and thrashing around on the bed. And then when we went over there, you could see he had tears coming down. He was visibly crying.”
The two surgeons refused to proceed. One stated, “I’m out of it. I don’t want to have anything to do with it.” Chaos ensued as everyone grew upset. Miller added that the coordinator, in tears, called her supervisor, who allegedly instructed her to “find another doctor to do it” and insisted, “We’re going to do this case.” The coordinator replied there was “no one else.”
The procedure was ultimately canceled. About an hour later, a doctor informed the family Hoover “wasn’t ready” and had woken up. They were told to take him home and keep him comfortable, as survival seemed unlikely.
Whistleblowers and Resignations
Nyckoletta Martin, another former KODA organ preservationist who resigned after the incident, described: “The donor had woken up during his procedure that morning for a cardiac catheterization. And he was thrashing around on the table.” Several KODA staff, including Martin, quit over the event.
Martin reflected on her commitment to organ donation: “It’s very scary to me now these things are allowed to happen and there’s not more in place to protect donors.”
Official Statements and Ongoing Probe
KODA confirmed Miller’s involvement but denied the claims, stating: “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.”
Baptist Health Richmond emphasized: “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.”
Hoover has since beaten the odds but struggles with walking, talking, and memory. Rhorer serves as his primary caregiver and legal guardian. As of 2024, Kentucky’s attorney general’s office and a federal agency overseeing organ procurement are investigating the case.
