US Woman Wakes Up From Coma Moments Before Organ Donation Surgery

In 2022, Danella Gallegos, a 38-year-old homeless woman, fell into a coma following an unspecified medical emergency at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Doctors informed her family that she was unlikely to recover, leading them to agree to organ donation through New Mexico Donor Services, The New York Times reported.

As preparations for the organ retrieval surgery began, Ms Gallegos' family noticed tears in her eyes, which donation coordinators dismissed as mere reflexes. On the day of the procedure, one of her sisters observed movement, and a doctor asked Ms Gallegos to blink, which she did, indicating she was still alive. Despite this, coordinators allegedly pressured hospital staff to proceed, suggesting morphine to reduce movement.

Fortunately, the doctors refused and stopped the surgery, a decision that saved Ms Gallegos' life as she went on to make a full recovery.

She later filed a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services, prompting an investigation into the incident. Presbyterian Hospital stated that New Mexico Donor Services was responsible for the donation process, while the organisation denied interfering with medical decisions.

She told The Times: "I feel so fortunate. But it's also crazy to think how close things came to ending differently."

A similar case happened in Kentucky in October 2021, involving Thomas 'TJ' Hoover II. After a drug overdose, Mr Hoover was declared brain dead and scheduled for organ donation. However, a staff member noticed him thrashing and crying visibly before the operation. Despite showing signs of life, Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) allegedly pushed to proceed, which the company denied. Like Ms Gallegos, Mr Hoover eventually recovered and now lives with his sister.

Misty Hawkins, 42, was another case where life support was removed before organ removal. However, when doctors operated, they found her heart still beating. Unfortunately, Ms Hawkins didn't survive.

Over 103,200 people are currently on the organ transplant waiting list in the US, with 13 dying daily while waiting, according to official statistics. Each donor can save up to eight lives and improve 75 others.