Ohio mother was in Costa Rica when 18-year-old son died in car crash; hospital never contacted her, she later learned his body parts were removed as 'anatomical gifts' without consent

A mother's nightmare

Andrea Mauk was on holiday in Costa Rica when she received the news that her 18-year-old son, Damon, had died in a car crash on June 24, 2023, in Lucas, Ohio. The crash occurred when Damon lost control of his car on a country road and struck a tree. He had recently graduated from high school and was studying for his real-estate license.

Andrea recalled having to be sedated after learning of her son's death. Her husband, Edward, was with her in Costa Rica, and they rushed home to Ohio. But when she went to the funeral home, she discovered another devastating detail: parts of Damon's body had been removed as 'anatomical gifts' without her consent.

Speaking to the New York Post, Andrea said: "I was completely devastated. I went to the funeral home and couldn’t even look at him after they’d taken pieces of his body." She added: "They stole my son’s eyes. I didn’t want to remember Damon like that."

A question of consent

The hospital never called Andrea, despite her being listed as Damon's primary emergency contact. Damon was not a registered organ donor. Consent to harvest his organs had been obtained from his biological father, a man Andrea says played a minimal role in their son's life. Technically, the Organ Procurement Organisation (OPO) had operated within the law, but Andrea was left questioning why she, as the primary contact, was not consulted.

Parts of Damon's body were sent to for-profit tissue centres, and his eyes were sent to Argentina, according to reports.

Campaign for change

Andrea has since testified before the Ohio Senate and took a public records case to the Ohio Supreme Court, which led to higher transparency laws. She has also launched a Change.org petition calling for 'Damon's Law', which aims to strengthen hospital procedures around tissue and organ donations and require truly informed consent.

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced reforms on July 21, following an investigation into an Organ Procurement Organization that found issues such as inadequate neurological assessments and poor coordination with medical teams.

Federal law requires hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid to notify OPOs of deaths within 60 minutes.

Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel praised Robert F. Kennedy for bringing the issue to light.

Andrea's story highlights a gap between legal requirements and the emotional realities faced by families. As she put it: "While facing the worst loss of my life, I was denied the chance to give my son the goodbye I had hoped for. Instead, I was forced to fight for answers."