Reports show more people opting out of organ donation programs after Kentucky hospital incident
Republished from WEKU.
Transplant experts are seeing a spike in people revoking organ donor registrations. Reports show their confidence has been shaken by the report that organs were nearly retrieved from a Kentucky man who was mistakenly declared dead.
The incident happened in 2021. TJ Hoover was rushed to Baptist Health Richmond hospital because of a drug overdose. Reports say he was allegedly declared dead, however after showing signs of life, surgery was avoided and Hoover is still alive.
However, the Associated Press reports, donor registries in the U.S. and even across the Atlantic are being impacted after the case was publicized. Officials are concerned that a drop in donations could cost the lives of people awaiting a transplant.
Donate Life America found an average of 170 people a day removed themselves from the national donor registry in the week following media coverage of the allegations. That’s 10 times more than the same week in 2023.
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Originally published by WEKU.
Republished with permission.
