In what can be described as ‘everybody’s worst nightmare,’ a terrified organ donor came back to life on the operating room table as surgeons prepared to harvest his body parts.

The medical story of 36-year-old Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover II began in October 2021 when his sister was told he was “code blue,” meaning he was experiencing cardiac arrest, while in Baptist Health Richmond’s emergency room.

Hoover was deemed brain-dead. When his family decided to take him off life support, medical staff told them he was a registered organ donor.

Over the next couple of days, Hoover’s organs were tested to see what was viable.

“We had his honour walk Friday afternoon,” Hoover’s sister, Donna Rhorer, recounted. “During his honour walk, his eyes started opening up. He was tracking. His eyes were tracking us around. We were told it was just reflexes, just a normal thing. Who are we to question the medical system?”

Hoover was only about an hour into organ retrieval surgery when a doctor allegedly came out to speak to his family. “He said he wasn’t ready. He woke up. But we also hadn’t been told during his heart catheterization that morning, he woke up then. If we had known that, then clearly, we would have known he wasn’t brain-dead,” Rhorer recounted.

“He made several attempts to say, ‘Hey, I’m here.’ But it was kind of ignored. They finally stopped the procedure because he was showing too many signs of life.”

Following the alleged organ retrieval gone wrong in 2021, Rhorer was told to take her brother home to care for him and that he would not live long. He is still alive today.

Rhorer was not made aware of details about what happened all those years ago until January of this year, when she was contacted by someone who was working with the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates. The woman, Nyckoletta Martin, and other witnesses came forward this year during testimony heard before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September. 

Baptist Health issued a statement said, “We work closely with our patients and their families to ensure our patients’ wishes for organ donation are followed.”

“Our Office has been in contact with advocates and members of Kentucky’s federal delegation regarding this horrific allegation,” Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said in a statement. “In collaboration with our Kentucky law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue reviewing the facts to identify an appropriate response.”

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office is “reviewing the facts” of an alleged botched organ donation.