A family from Kentucky, United States, has managed to get judicial authorities to investigate a possible case of medical negligence in which a man presumed dead woke up just as his heart was going to be removed for a transplant.
The events occurred on October 25, 2021, as reported by the local chain WKYT. Anthony Thomas ‘T.J.’ Hoover IIwas admitted to the Baptist Health Richmond emergency room.
TJ was going into cardiac arrest and was deemed a code blue. “On October 26 they told us that there were no reflexes, I had no reflexes, there was no brain activity, there were no brain waves“said Donna Rhorer, Hoover’s sister.
The next day, Rhorer’s family decided to take TJ off life support. That’s when they were told he was registered as an organ donor.
To honor his wishes, the next two days were spent analyzing TJ’s organs to see what was viable, including a cardiac catheterization to evaluate your heart.
“We honored him on Friday afternoon. During his walk, his eyes began to open. He was following us. They followed us with their gaze. They told us that they were just reflexes, something normal. Who are we to question the medical system?“said Donna Rhorer. They then took TJ into organ salvage surgery.
“After an hour, the doctor came out to look for us. He said he wasn’t ready. He woke up. But they also hadn’t told us that during the cardiac catheterization that morning he woke up. If we had known that, then clearly we would have known that I wasn’t brain dead.“Rhorer said.
Rhorer was told to take TJ home and make him feel comfortable. They told him he wouldn’t live long. Rhorer has been caring for his brother for three years.
“He tried several times to tell me ‘Hello, I’m here,’ but they didn’t pay attention to him. In the end, they stopped the procedure because he showed too many signs of life,” Rhorer said.
Rhorer did not learn these details until January of this year, when Nyckoletta Martin, who was working with Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates At that time, he contacted her. She and other witnesses came forward this year and their testimony was heard before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September.
“It is not uncommon for a problem to arise related to the donor and whether he or she dies or not. The problem is that we have been without any supervision from the OPOs (organ procurement organizations) for 40 years,” said the doctor. Seth Karpsurgeon-in-chief at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office says it is now They are investigating the case.
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