Allen Holliman
Allen Holliman (died November 2018) was a South Carolina resident who passed away following a botched lung transplant at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. The transplant, performed on November 28, 2018, involved organs from a donor whose blood type was incorrectly identified, leading to organ rejection and Holliman’s death. [1][2][3]
The case drew comparisons to the high-profile 2003 death of Jesica Santillan at Duke University Hospital, where a similar blood type mismatch occurred. Holliman’s death, however, received less public attention until his widow, Michelle Holliman, filed a lawsuit against several entities involved in the transplant process.[1]
Background
Allen Holliman and his wife, Michelle, relocated from Connecticut to Aiken, South Carolina, in 2014. Holliman was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that progressively impairs lung function by causing lung tissue to thicken and stiffen. As his condition worsened, Holliman required a breathing tube and oxygen tank, making regular trips to MUSC for treatment.[1]
Transplant error
In late November 2018, Holliman received a call that a pair of lungs was available, just a month after being placed on the transplant waiting list. The lungs came from a donor at Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, managed by We Are Sharing Hope SC, a nonprofit responsible for organ procurement in 44 of South Carolina’s 46 counties. The donor had received a massive blood transfusion before death, which led to inconclusive blood-typing results. Despite a requirement for two confirmatory blood tests, the donor’s organs were incorrectly registered with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) as type O when they were type A.[1][2][4]
MUSC accepted the lungs for Holliman, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville accepted the donor’s liver for another patient. Both transplants failed on the same day due to the blood type mismatch. Holliman’s body rejected the lungs, and he died shortly after the procedure. The liver recipient in Tennessee survived but required a second transplant and faced serious complications.[1]
Dr. Bryan Whitson, a transplant surgeon at Ohio State University, described the error as one that “should never happen,” highlighting a systemic failure in the organ-matching process. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services later cited We Are Sharing Hope SC for lacking protocols for handling inconclusive blood tests and failing to report the error at Vanderbilt.[1]
Aftermath
Michelle Holliman filed a lawsuit in July 2020 against We Are Sharing Hope SC, later adding MUSC, UNOS, and a surgeon involved in the procedure as defendants. The lawsuit alleges negligence in the blood-typing process and failure to follow standard protocols. MUSC maintained that its transplant team relied on the incorrect blood type information provided by We Are Sharing Hope SC and followed national standards of care. The hospital did not report Holliman’s death to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), despite a regulation requiring notification of serious medical errors within 10 days. DHEC initiated an investigation only after inquiries from The Post and Courier.[1]
The Joint Commission, a hospital quality oversight body, was also unaware of Holliman’s death until contacted by The Post and Courier. The organization announced it would review the case, as incorrect blood typing is a reportable incident under its Universal Protocol, which mandates a pre-surgery “time-out” to verify critical details like blood type compatibility.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wildeman, Mary Katherine. "He died when he got the wrong lungs. It wasn't the only organ error in SC that day". Post and Courier. Archived from the original on 2020-09-12. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Staff, Live 5 Web (2019-07-23). "Man died after he was given incompatible lungs during transplant, lawsuit says". WCSC. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ↑ "Why organ transplant peer-review documents must remain privileged". American Medical Association. 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ↑ Masson, Gabrielle (2021-06-07). "South Carolina organ network tied to fatal blood-type error under investigation, pressure to improve". Becker's Hospital Review. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
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