A Kentucky organ donor who woke up on an operating table had a harrowing past involving death and drugs.

Brain-dead organ donor from Kentucky who woke up on the operating table He suffered tragedy and mental health issues that ultimately worsened with his drug overdose, according to a new report.

Thomas “TJ” Hoover, now 36, nearly cut himself at Baptist Health Richmond in 2021 after overdosing in his car and then being declared brain dead.

Donna Rohrer, his sister and guardian, said the incident was the culmination of her brother’s years of suffering that began when he saw the bodies while cleaning up during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. CNN reported.

Rohrer told the publication that the loss of life and destruction caused by the deadly hurricanes forced him to take medication for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

But the medication left Hoover feeling like a “zombie,” Rohrer said, and her brother was unable to find work and eventually turned to illegal drugs to help him cope.

Rohrer had already lost two brothers to overdoses, and although Hoover tried to recover, the final straw was the death of their mother in 2021.

A few months after her death, on the anniversary of her birthday, Hoover overdosed and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared him brain dead the next day.

Hoover was listed as an organ donor, and over the next two days, doctors tested his organs to determine which ones were suitable for transplantation.

Members of the Kentucky Organ Donor Association (KODA) say the procedure was horribly flawed, and witnesses say Hoover showed obvious signs of life and even moved his body and eyes.

“The donor woke up that morning during a cardiac catheterization procedure. And he was throwing himself around the table.” former KODA employee Nicoletta Martin told NPR.

According to the case file, those who took the Hippocratic Oath simply calmed the struggling Hoover as he stood up and proceeded with their plans to harvest his organs.

As a result of the incident, several KODA team members resigned and the matter was investigated by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.

The federal Health Resources and Services Administration is also investigating the allegations.

Hoover survived the ordeal and currently lives with his sister as he continues to recover.