Case of Anthony Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II is under investigation by state and federal government officials
A man who had gone into cardiac arrest and been declared brain dead woke up as surgeons in his home state of Kentucky were in the middle of harvesting his organs for donation, his family has told media outlets.
As reported Thursday by both National Public Radio and the Kentucky news station WKYT, the case of Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover II is under investigation by state and federal government officials. Officials within the US’s organ-procurement system insist there are safeguards in place to prevent such episodes, though his family told the outlets their experience highlights a need for at least some reform.
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WKYT reported that Rhorer only learned the full details of her brother’s surgery at the hands of Baptist and the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (Koda) in January. That’s when a former employee of Koda contacted her before sending a letter to a congressional committee that in September held a hearing scrutinizing organ-procurement organizations, NPR reported.
The letter’s author said she saw Hoover begin “thrashing” around on the operating table as well as start “crying visibly”, according to NPR.
Having read the article I’m not 100 percent certain if the patient is dead or being cared for at home.
Cases like this are why families keep people on life support.
The patient is alive and under guardianship of his sister. He was able to dance with her at her wedding last year. Sounds like he has brain damage, as he has trouble with his memory, walking, and talking, but is a far leap from anything considered dead or a vegetable. I get that people think poorly of people who OD, but we don’t know this person or on what level of destruction they were on. I find it hard in this day and age to judge someone who wants to check out of reality.
Thanks. The condition you described is different than what the article led me to believe.
The patient is alive.