US organ donation group faces decertification after Kentucky man’s near-fatal ordeal

“My brother grabbed the doctor’s hand as he tried to harvest his organs…” Donna Rhorer’s account of what happened to her brother, Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover II, has become central to a case raising serious questions about patient safety and oversight in the US organ donation system. Hoover, who was taken for organ donation after a drug overdose in Kentucky in October 2021, showed signs of life as preparations for organ retrieval progressed. Nearly five years later, the case has drawn renewed scrutiny after US authorities moved to decertify Network for Hope, the organisation responsible for coordinating organ donations in the region.The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on August 5, 2026, that it had begun the process of decertifying Network for Hope following federal reviews that identified concerning patient-safety practices in multiple cases involving potential organ donors. Rhorer described her experience in testimony at the Kentucky Attorney General’s office, recounting how her family had been told that Hoover had no reflexes or brain activity and would not recover. They agreed to withdraw life support and honour his wishes to become an organ donor. How...