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

A man who had been declared brain dead tried pulling out his own teeth after he woke up as his body was being prepped for organ donation.

Thomas TJ Hoover II, 36, had been declared brain dead after an overdose when surgeons went to remove his organs at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in Kentucky in October 2021.

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

Then, as the surgeons prepared to remove his organs, Hoover began moving around and was crying visibly, according to Natasha Miller, another former employee. 

Miller said that when her colleague called KODA - which had coordinated the transplant- the supervisor told them they were going to do this case anyway and the hospital needed to find another doctor. 

Thomas TJ Hoover II, 36, had been declared brain dead when surgeons went to remove his organs at Baptist Health Richmond Hospital in Kentucky in October 2021, but later became reanimated

He had been rushed to the hospital following a drug overdose

Hoovers sister Donna Rhorer told Fox56 family was previously told he had no reflexes, no responses, no brainwaves, no brain activity before they decided to remove him off 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 was checking around, looking to see what was going on, Rhorer added.

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

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

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

I do feel angry, she said.

The hospital insists the safety of our patients is always our highest priority

Baptist Health President Greg Gerard. Baptist Health Richmond has also since insisted the safety of our patients is always our highest priority

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

They are trying to play God, she claimed. Theyre almost, you know, picking and choosing - theyre going to take this person to save these people.

And you kind of lose your faith in humanity a little bit.

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

It took its toll on a lot of people, Martin said, especially me.

She has since become a whistleblower, submitting a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the incident as it held a hearing investigating organ procurement organizations.

Nyckoletta Martin has since become a whistleblower, submitting a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the incident as it held a hearing investigating organ procurement organizations

Donna Rhorer, his sister, has become his legal guardian 

Its very scary to me now that these things are allowed to happen, and theres not more in place to protect donors, Martin said.

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

No one at KODA has ever been pressured to collect organs from any living patient, she told NPR.

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

KODA does not recover organs from living patients. KODA has never pressured its team members to do so.

Baptist Health Richmond has also since insisted the safety of our patients is always our highest priority.

We work closely with our patients and their families to ensure our patients wishes for organ donation are followed, a spokesperson for the hospital told NPR.

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