In a near-fatal medical mishap, a Kentucky man, Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover II, narrowly avoided having his organs harvested after mistakenly being declared brain dead.

On October 25, 2021, Hoover was admitted to Baptist Health Richmond after a drug overdose, WLBT reports.

As doctors prepared him for organ donation surgery, staff noticed movement, and Hoover was visibly crying, leading to the surgery’s cancellation. His sister, Donna Rhorer, witnessed Hoover’s eyes opening while he was being transferred, raising concerns that were dismissed as reflexes.

The situation unfolded when Natasha Miller, an organ preservationist, realized something was wrong while preparing for the procedure. Hoover, despite being declared dead, was “moving, thrashing around” and had tears streaming down his face, Miller explained.

Hoover’s family was left devastated by the initial misdiagnosis. Rhorer shared her concerns when she saw her brother showing signs of life, describing how he appeared to look around.

“It was like it was his way of letting us know, you know, ‘Hey, I’m still here.’”

Hoover, who now lives under the care of his sister, even attended her wedding in 2023, dancing with her on the big day. His remarkable survival has reignited discussions about organ donation practices.

Rhorer didn’t know how close her brother was to having his organs removed prematurely until January of this year. She appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September to give her testimony in hopes something like this never happens again.

Whew! That was a close call!