Kentucky organ donor who woke up on operating table had heartbreaking past involving death, drugs

Nov 01, 2024

The “brain dead” Kentucky organ donor who woke up on the operating table endured tragedy and mental health issues that eventually spiraled with his drug overdose, according to a new report.

Thomas “TJ” Hoover, now 36, was nearly sliced up at the Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in 2021 after overdosing in his car — and then being declared brain dead.

Donna Rohrer, his sister and caregiver, said the incident was the culmination of years of suffering for her brother, which began when he saw dead bodies while doing cleanup during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, CNN reported.

Rohrer told the outlet the human cost and devastation of the deadly hurricanes led to him to take medication for anxiety, depression and PTSD.

But the medications caused Hoover to feel like “a zombie,” Rohrer said, with her brother unable to find work and eventually leaning to illegal drugs to help him cope.

Rohrer had already lost two brothers to overdoses, and while Hoover made attempts to get clean, the final straw came when their mother passed away in 2021.

Months after her death, on the anniversary of her birthday, Hoover overdosed and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared him brain dead the following day.

Hoover was listed as an organ donor, with medics spending the next two days testing his organs to see which would be viable for transplant.

Members of the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) say the procedure was horrifically flawed, with witnesses saying Hoover showed clear signs of life and was even moving his body and eyes.

“The donor had woken up during his procedure that morning for a cardiac catheterization. And he was thrashing around on the table,” former KODA employee Nyckoletta Martin told NPR.

According to case file records, the Hippocratic oath takers merely sedated the struggling Hoover when he arose — and proceeded with their plans to harvest his organs.

The incident caused several members of the KODA team to resign, with the Kentucky State Attorney General’s office investigating the matter.

The federal Health Resources and Services Administration is also investigating the allegations.

Hoover survived the ordeal and is currently living with his sister as he continues to recover.