By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently investigating organ donation practices following reports of potential misconduct within a Kentucky-based organization, Network for Hope, which merged with Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA). Testimony before a House subcommittee revealed alleged instances where organs were harvested from individuals who may not have met the criteria for brain death. One specific case involves TJ Hoover, whose sister claims doctors attempted to harvest his organs while he exhibited signs of life, leading to the procedure’s halt. Former KODA employees have corroborated these accounts, raising serious concerns about the organization’s practices and prompting calls for reform in organ donation protocols.
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Kentucky man wakes up during organ harvesting procedure – prompting federal investigation.
Alright, so let’s unpack this whole, unbelievably disturbing situation. It all started with a report about a Kentucky man, referred to as TJ, who, during an organ harvesting procedure, showed signs of life. This, as you can imagine, is not something that’s supposed to happen. And it definitely didn’t.
Apparently, the surgical preservationist on the case, Natasha Miller, confirmed TJ was moving and “thrashing” during the procedure. And she’s not the only one who made that statement. Even more alarming? According to Miller, the physician who initially declared TJ ready for organ harvesting had some serious reservations. The doctor believed TJ was showing too many signs of life to continue, but KODA, the organization involved, apparently wanted to proceed regardless. I mean, what the actual…?! It’s like a scene from a nightmare, or a very, very twisted version of Monty Python. You’re telling me the doctors were fully aware he was showing signs of life, and they still decided to push forward?
This is where the story takes a turn for the truly horrifying. It gets worse. TJ’s eyes opened and tracked the people in the room during his “honor walk” to the operating room. The idea of an “honor walk” itself—where hospital staff line the hallways as the potential donor is taken for the procedure—is meant to be a solemn and respectful tribute. But imagine being in TJ’s position, realizing what was happening, and knowing you were not even close to being dead. It’s the stuff of nightmares. I’m not sure how anyone could recover from something like that.
Given what’s been described, this is an extreme failure from both the hospital and the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). The process for organ donation involves specific steps to ensure the patient is actually gone. First, there has to be a declaration of brain death or the patient must pass away after life support is withdrawn. It should go without saying that if the patient shows signs of life at any point, the procedure should immediately stop. I mean, it’s the most basic of ethical considerations.
Now, let’s talk about how it’s supposed to work. Typically, the patient has been in the ICU for days or weeks. A multitude of tests and efforts to awaken the patient have already been done. Family, or a designated power of attorney, will have been consulted, and paperwork will have been signed. An organ preservation company will be involved, observing their final hours alongside the hospital staff. The day of the procedure, they get an “honor walk” to the operating room. Then all sedation is stopped. Once they get to the OR, the ventilator is turned off, and they wait for an hour to allow the patient to have a natural death. Organs are harvested immediately after death, if it occurs within that hour. If the patient doesn’t die within that hour, the procedure is canceled, and they are returned to the ICU. The whole point is to ensure the patient is completely and unequivocally deceased before anything else. Any deviation from this is a catastrophic error.
The details emerging from this situation are deeply unsettling, and it is no surprise that it prompted a federal investigation. This kind of incident erodes trust in the entire organ donation system, which is desperately in need of more donors, and it’s something that should cause anyone to seriously reconsider their position. It is an affront to medical ethics, and it leaves a profound sense of violation. The fact that this happened in 2021, and is re-surfacing, shows just how important this information is.
Further, in the past, similar issues have been reported. Some medical workers have reported disturbing cases of donation after circulatory death and of medical professionals administering drugs to hasten the death of potential donors. As one doctor put it, “I think these types of problems are happening much more than we know.” The reports speak of the kind of corruption that some have witnessed in the system, which could favor the wealthy, but, at the very least, creates a perception of corruption.
Given the specifics of this situation, and the alleged disregard for ethical practices, it’s crucial that the investigation uncovers all the facts, including what, if any, steps were taken to follow hospital procedures and the actual status of the patient before the attempted harvesting began. What happened to TJ is an extreme example of what can go wrong, and every effort must be made to ensure it never happens again.