'Brain dead' Kentucky man, 36, wakes up before organ donation in case that shocked the nation

The family of a man who woke up arsenic surgeons prepared to harvest his organs has revealed tragic caller details astir a lawsuit that shocked America.

In 2021, Thomas 'TJ' Hoover II, now 36, was declared encephalon dormant aft an overdose sent him to Baptist Health infirmary successful Richmond, Kentucky. 

Donna Rohrer, his sister and superior caregiver, has now revealed he began taking narcotics because of anxiety, depression and PTSD that had developed successful consequence to seeing dormant bodies successful nan aftermath of hurricane Katrina and Rita. 

Hoover had besides mislaid 2 brothers antecedently to an overdose, and struggled to clasp a occupation and find a consciousness of purpose. Just months earlier he coiled up successful nan hospital, his mother passed away. 

On his precocious mother's birthday, Hoover took unspecified narcotics and passed retired erstwhile he was loading his car. When EMTs arrived to attraction for him, he had nary pulse. 

Days later, aft doctors recovered nary signs of encephalon activity, Hoover's family made nan determination to region his life support and let his organs to beryllium harvested for donation, per his wishes. 

But arsenic he was wheeled into nan operating room, Hoover woke up, and since then, his communicative has dispersed crossed nan state and seems to person led to a surge of group removing their names from organ philanthropist databases.

Over a 1 week play aft reports astir Hoover's communicative went live, astir 170 group removed themselves from organ philanthropist registries per day. 

That is 10 times higher than nan number of group who removed themselves complete nan aforesaid play successful 2023. 

Representatives from Gift of Life Michigan, a state-specific organ aid network, told nan Associated Press that immoderate of nan group who removed their sanction mentioned Mr Hoover's lawsuit specifically. 

This adds much accent to what is already a stressed strategy - wherever an estimated 17 group successful nan US dice each time waiting for an organ transplant. 

Since 2021, Rhorer and whistleblowers from nan infirmary person lifted nan lid connected what happened that day.

They declare doctors told family members that scans showed nary activity successful Hoover's brain, and asked if they wanted to fulfill his wishes of becoming an organ donor. 

The family agreed to return him disconnected life support and nonstop him for organ aid erstwhile he had passed. 

From there, officials from Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) stepped successful to coordinate nan transplant. 

Natasha Miller, who was moving for KODA astatine nan clip and successful nan room during Hoover's almost-surgery told CNN that soon aft being wheeled into nan transplant room, Hoover began thrashing around, moreover arsenic his assemblage was shaved and he was draped pinch a surgical sheet.

She said she saw tears rolling down his look and successful a daze caller report, said she saw him shingle his caput no.

Miller said: 'No 1 was comfortable doing nan lawsuit from nan hospital.' 

Then, Miller said coordinators called managers astatine KODA to show them nan lawsuit needed to beryllium unopen down. 

Miller alleged that higher ups from nan statement pressured in-person unit astatine Baptist Health to proceed pinch nan surgery. 

Rhorer and nan remainder of Hoover's family didn't study astir what happened successful nan operating room until Nycki Martin, a surgical preservationist for KODA astatine nan time, reached retired aft seeing Rhorer station astir nan 'miracle' connected TikTok. 

Martin shared specifications pinch Rhorer astir what happened connected nan operating table, and nan uncertainty that aesculapian unit had expressed erstwhile preparing Hoover for surgery. 

Rhorer said if she and her family had known their was doubts astir his consciousness, 'we would ne'er person sent him for his organs to beryllium harvested'.  

In consequence to comments from Martin, Miller and Rhorer, representatives from Network for Hope, nan statement that has absorbed KODA since nan 2021 incident, denied nan incident. 

Their president and Chief Operating Officer Julie Bergen, told NPR: 'No 1 astatine KODA has ever been pressured to cod organs from immoderate surviving patient.

'KODA does not retrieve organs from surviving patients. KODA has ne'er pressured its squad members to do so.' 

The infirmary Baptist Health Richmond has besides insisted 'the information of our patients is ever our highest priority. 

'We activity intimately pinch our patients and their families to guarantee our patients' wishes for organ aid are followed,' a spokesperson for nan infirmary told NPR. 

The claims against KODA and nan infirmary are being reviewed by nan Health Resources and Services Administration, nan nationalist agency that regulates transplants.  

As nan fallout from that October time continues to unfold, Hoover is moving guardant pinch his life.  

Rhorer took her relative location pinch her to unrecorded and helped him stitchery his spot truthful that he could participate beingness therapy. 

Despite bleak prognoses from his doctors, Hover was good capable to beryllium capable to locomotion Rhorer down successful nan aisle successful May 2023. 

He still has a difficult clip balancing, talking, seeing and immoderate limitations to his short word memory. Rohrer told FOX56 that he utilized to emotion going to nan woods, camping and watching deer, hiking, 'all things outdoors,' truthful nan constricted mobility is simply a challenge. 

Still, she's grateful. She told CNN she wants group to cognize that organ aid is 'a beautiful thing' adding: 'What tin you springiness personification much precious than love? But astatine nan aforesaid time, it shouldn’t beryllium abused.'