Iowa: A recent lawsuit filed alleges a hospital improperly harvested the organs of a United States Air Force veteran by not informing and including those closest to him, the veteran's daughters, in the decision. The lawsuit also claims the hospital staff made no attempt to contact and coordinate with them.
The veteran, Martin Gillespie, 69, had his eyes, skin, organs, and tissue removed and harvested by Allegiant Health Community Memorial Hospital in Missouri Valley, Iowa, despite not being given proper authorization from the official next of kin to collect the "anatomical gifts of the body", the lawsuit claimed. It was also claimed that the hospital did not attempt to find the official next of kin.
Gillespie was known to family and friends as a "proud Air Force veteran" with eight grandchildren. He is survived by two daughters, Christina Gubbels and Daun Stoddard, the focal figures in the legal complaint.
Gubbels and Stoddard filed the legal complaint after hearing of the “harvesting” of his organs. According to documents, the daughters knew their father’s organs were not to be used in such a manner.
"On April 1, 2026, decedent arrived via Missouri Valley Fire and Rescue to defendant's hospital and was pronounced deceased. During his lifetime, decedent did not authorize anatomical gifts of his body in any manner,” the complaint read.
Gubbels and Stoddard claim the hospital was aware of Gillespie's children, but mistakenly concluded the next of kin was an aunt, who had authority to make "anatomical gift decisions.”
According to the complaint, it stated, "[The aunt] was not the decedent's next of kin nor was she ever appointed to make legal or healthcare decisions on decedent's behalf under a durable power of attorney or similar instrument. Decedent also did not authorize [the aunt] to make anatomical gifts on decedent's behalf."
The daughters allege that the hospital failed to follow proper protocols when determining the true next of kin. They stated in their complaint that they were “reasonably available to make decisions” and the hospital failed to act in their actions of attempting to get a hold of them which ultimately led to the organ harvesting.
"Later that day, the Iowa Donor Network harvested the decedent's organs, skin tissue, and eyes,” legal documents stated. “Following harvesting by the Iowa Donor Network, the Decedent was transported to the Hennessey Funeral Home in Missouri Valley where he was cremated."
The family is seeking $75,000 due to emotional distress, malpractice, and fraud. No information was available regarding the past practices of the hospital and if there were other related incidents.
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Writer and author Eddie Molina has over 25 years of combined LEO and military service. Learn more about his interview articles at www.eddiemolina.com
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