One woman woke up from a coma just a matter of moments before organs were about to be harvested, but the horror doesn’t end there.
Back in 2022, Danella Gallegos, who goes by 'Danielle' on Facebook, was hospitalised and went into a coma with doctors at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, telling her family she would never recover.
The relatives of Danella, who was 38 and homeless at the time, agreed to the organ donation; however, they later noticed tears in her eyes as preparations commenced.
According to various interviews with the family and eight hospital workers, the family's concerns were completely dismissed, with donation coordinators claiming that Danella's tears were simply a reflex.
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Then, on the day of the planned donation, the young woman was taken to a pre-surgery room, where her two sisters held her hands.
A doctor arrived shortly after to withdraw life support, but it was at this precise moment that one of Danella's sisters saw her move, prompting the doctor to ask her to blink her eyes, a request to which she miraculously complied.
As if that wasn't horrifying enough, hospital workers claimed that the organ procurement organisation still wanted to go ahead with the organ harvesting, despite Danella appearing to be conscious.
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According to the New York Times, a coordinator said the blinking on demand was simply just a reflex and suggested morphine to reduce movements.
Thankfully, the hospital refused, and instead, workers brought Danella back to her room, where she eventually made a full recovery.
Danella later filed a complaint with H.H.S., which opened an investigation.
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It was found that while Presbyterian Hospital made the treatment decisions, hospital workers claimed they faced pressure from the procurement organisation, New Mexico Donor Services.
"All they care about is getting organs," said Neva Williams, a veteran intensive care nurse at the hospital. "They’re so aggressive. It’s sickening."
In a statement, Donor Services stated that it does not interfere with medical decision-making and that hospitals are in charge of patient care.
Presbyterian noted that Donor Services was responsible for managing all aspects of the donation process, but said it was reviewing Danella's case.
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In a recent interview, Danella recalled that she doesn't remember much about what had happened in the hospital, remembering feeling fear but not pain.
"I feel so fortunate, obviously," she said, "but it’s also crazy to think how close things came to ending differently."
Sadly, Danella isn't the only one to go through such an ordeal.
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In 2021, 'TJ' Hoover II showed signs of life after being declared brain dead, but doctors at the hospital alleged that Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) had pushed to go ahead with the operation to remove his organs anyway – which the company denied.
And last year, 42-year-old Misty Hawkins had been in a coma for weeks after choking on food when her mother gave permission for her organs to be donated after she was declared dead.
However, when doctors sawed into her breastplate, they discovered her heart was still beating. Sadly, Misty didn't survive and passed away shortly afterwards.
A statement from New Mexico Donor Services to Tyla reads: "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) investigated the case and concluded New Mexico Donor Services was 'in compliance with all conditions of participation' in its handling of the case.
"New Mexico Donor Services works closely with our hospital partners to provide processes and policies with clear guardrails that define our roles. We have reached out to Presbyterian Hospital and will actively participate in any request to ensure our communication is clear and processes are fully understood by all parties moving forward. Our joint mission is to ensure a seamless process that supports and respects the gift of our donor heroes and their families while saving as many lives as possible through donation."
Rhiannon Ingle