‘Brain dead’ man, 38, tried to pull his own teeth out after waking up during organ donation surgery

A man declared brain dead tried to pull out his own teeth after waking up while his body was being prepared for organ donation.

Thomas “TJ” Hoover II, 36, was declared brain dead after an overdose when surgeons began removing his organs in October 2021 at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in Kentucky.

But Hoover began thrashing around, crying and trying to pull out his teeth as surgeons prepared to harvest his body parts, according to former Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates employee Nyckoletta Martin.

As surgeons prepared to remove his organs, Hoover began “moving around” and “was visibly crying,” said Natasha Miller, another former employee.

Miller said that when her colleague called KODA — who had coordinated the transplant — the supervisor told them they were “going to do this case anyway” and that the hospital should “find another doctor.”

He was rushed to hospital after suffering a drug overdose

Hoover’s sister Donna Rhorer told the story Fox56 The family were previously told he had ‘no reflexes, no reactions, no brain waves, no brain activity’ before they decided to remove him from life support.

“We had his honor walk, but almost as soon as his honor walk started, his eyes started to open, and not just open, he looked around and looked to see what was going on,” Rhorer added.

“And we were told it was just reflexes, just normal instinct, and he’s not there.”

An honor walk is usually done by hospital staff to honor patients who donate organs.

Ultimately, the organ collection was canceled and several employees quit in the aftermath.

Rhorer says her brother has since had problems with his memory, walking and talking, and she has had to become his legal guardian.

“I’m really angry,” she said.

The hospital emphasizes that ‘the safety of our patients is always our top priority’

Baptist Healthcare President Greg Gerard. Baptist Health Richmond has also since emphasized that “the safety of our patients is always our top priority

‘I feel betrayed by the fact that people told us he was brain dead, and then he wakes up.

“They’re trying to play God,” she claimed. “They’re almost, you know, picking and choosing – they’re going to take this person to save these people.

“And you lose a little bit of faith in humanity.”

Former hospital worker Martin added that several employees who worked on the transplant had to seek therapy in the aftermath.

“It’s taken a toll on a lot of people,” Martin said, “especially me.”

She has since become a whistleblower and submitted a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the incident while it was holding a hearing on organ procurement organizations.

Nyckoletta Martin has since turned whistleblower and submitted a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the incident as it held a hearing into organ procurement organizations.

Donna Rhorer, his sister, has become his legal guardian

“I think it’s very frightening now that these things are allowed to happen and there’s nothing left to protect donors,” Martin said.

But Julie Bergen, the president and chief operating officer of Network for Hope — which was formed through a merger between KODA and LifeCenter Organ Donation Network — has denied the incident.

“No one at KODA has ever been pressured to take organs from a living patient,” she told NPR.

Rhorer says her brother has since had problems with his memory, walking and talking, and she has had to become his legal guardian.

‘KODA does not recover organs from living patients. KODA has never forced its team members to do this.’

Baptist Health Richmond has also since emphasized that “the safety of our patients is always our top priority.

“We work closely with our patients and their families to ensure that our patients’ organ donation wishes are met,” a hospital spokesperson told NPR.

The Kentucky Attorney General and the U.S. Health Services Resources Administration are now investigating the terrifying incident.