Waking up in the operating room in the middle of an operation is a nightmare that many of us have already had. However, for TJ Hoover, it has become a reality. In fact, the American woke up in the middle of an organ donation on the operating table. And this, while he was supposed to be brain dead.
A story that dates back to October 2021 in a Kentucky hospital. The man was admitted after having overdosed. While doctors declared him brain dead, his family made the painful decision to turn off life support.
Registered as an organ donor, TJ was then prepared for doctors to harvest organs from him. But right then, don, the man started to move. “He started moving, shaking back and forth on the bed,” nurse Natasha Miller told US radio NPR. “When we approached him, you could see he had tears in his eyes. He was visibly crying. »
The doctors must then announce it to his family. “The doctor came to us and said TJ had woken up,” said his sister, Donna. “We were all surprised. » At first, doctors thought TJ would not survive long after this incident, which even led to an investigation.
“The safety of our patients is always our top priority,” the hospital defended itself to the American media. “We work closely with our patients and their families to ensure that our patients’ wishes regarding organ donation are respected. »
