An Iowa hospital is facing a lawsuit for allegedly harvesting the organs of a deceased patient without first consulting with the patient’s next of kin.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, seeks damages from Alegent Health-Community Memorial Hospital of Missouri Valley, which also does business as CHI Health-Missouri Valley.
The plaintiffs in the case, Christina Gubbels of McLean, Nebraska, and Daun Stoddard of Norfolk, Nebraska, are the biological daughters of the late Martin Gillespie of Missouri Valley.
The lawsuit claims that in the early hours of April 1, 2026, Gillespie arrived by ambulance at CHI Health-Missouri Valley and was pronounced dead. Gillespie had never authorized “anatomical gifts of his body in any manner,” the lawsuit alleges.
According to the plaintiffs, although the hospital had access to information showing Gillespie had biological children, the staff determined his aunt, Karen Holst, was the next of kin who had legal authorization to make any organ-donation decisions on his behalf.
At 4:50 a.m. that day, the lawsuit alleges, the hospital made a “routine referral” to the Iowa Donor Network, and within hours the network had collected Gillespie’s organs, skin tissue and eyes.
Under Iowa law, Gillespie’s daughters had priority over his aunt in determining whether his organs were subject to donation, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit seeks more than $75,000 in damages for alleged malpractice, fraud, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
CHI Health-Missouri Valley officials did not respond Thursday when contacted for comment.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
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