What outraged hospital staff told surgeon ‘who ignored patient waking up during organ donation surgery’

Employees at a Kentucky hospital raised the alarm when they noticed doctors were about to euthanize a patient who had been declared brain dead but appeared to have woken up on the way to organ harvesting, a shocking new report claims.

Anthony “TJ” Hoover, 36, was pronounced dead at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital after overdosing in October 2021.

But hospital staff soon realized he had reflexes and that his eyes were open all the way as he was wheeled on a stretcher to the operating room during his honor walk – a tradition to show respect to organ donors.

In addition, Hoover had “purposeful pain movements” and “was thrashing around” during a cardiac catheterization to prepare his organs for harvesting, according to medical records reviewed by CNN.

Staff reportedly felt ‘extremely uncomfortable about the amount of reflexes’, with some complaining that ‘this was euthanasia’.

However, instead of stopping the surgery, the cardiologist gave Hoover a paralytic drug and further sedated him with midazolam and fentanyl, CNN reported.

The same cardiologist who performed the procedure reportedly said, “I’m not a neurologist, but if I definitely called this a purposeful movement, they shouldn’t have said that the patient wouldn’t get a meaningful recovery with these reflexes.”

Hoover, who struggled with anxiety, depression and PTSD, was pronounced dead in October 2021 after an overdose.

He overdosed on the day that would have been his mother’s birthday, months after her death.

His sister Donna Rhorer told CNN she felt doctors did everything they could before declaring him brain dead and asking his family to change his status to Do Not Resuscitate.

Hoover was “declared brain dead and held for organ harvesting” on October 29, four days after his overdose.

Harrowing footage shows Hoover being rolled in a hospital bed to the operating room as his heartbroken family members say their goodbyes

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

Hoover’s sister Donna Rhorer told Fox56 that they were told their loved one had “no reflexes, no reactions, no brain waves, no brain activity” before they decided to remove him from life support.

The hospital staff even did an honor walk for Hoover — a tradition in which nurses and other employees line up to show respect for organ donors as they are wheeled into an operating room.

Harrowing footage shows Hoover being pushed into a hospital bed as his heartbroken relatives say their goodbyes ahead of what they thought would be a final procedure.

In the background you hear someone say reassuringly: ‘sometimes they do respond, with some reflexes.’

But once on the operating table, 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.”

Donna Rhorer, his sister, has become his legal guardian

Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, KODA, said it has reviewed the matter and is “confident that accepted practices and approved protocols were followed.” Hoover is depicted this year

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.

‘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.”

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

Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, KODA, said it has reviewed the matter and is “confident that accepted practices and approved protocols were followed.”

KODA also told CNN that the case has been “misrepresented.”

Meanwhile, Baptist Health Richmond said 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.”

Kentucky’s attorney general has opened an investigation into the matter, and the Health Resources and Services Administration is also investigating, as is a bipartisan Congressional Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.