A heartwarming moment occurred after an organ donor who gave his liver, kidneys, and corneas received an honor walk last week.
Hospital staff held their first-ever honor walk for a multi-organ donor, John Evan Caspe Almejas, who was declared brain-dead at Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) in Tacloban, Leyte.
Touching footage captured by Kristel Anne Monsanto shows doctors and healthcare providers carefully pushing John’s bed out of his room on August 19.
Nurses, doctors, and family members lined the hallway, silently watching the selfless donor pass by as he was wheeled toward the operating room.
The video was uploaded on TikTok, garnering 2.6 million views, almost 9,000 likes, 276 saves and 108 comments.
“Today, we witnessed something truly powerful — an honour walk. A moment of silence, of reverence, of profound gratitude,” Monsanto captioned her post.
“As this selfless hero was wheeled through the hallway for the final time, every step was lined with love. Doctors. Nurses. Family. Strangers. All standing in quiet tribute to a life that chose to give even in its final moments,” she added.
“This wasn’t just a farewell — it was a celebration of the lives that will be saved because of one courageous ‘yes.’ A beating heart. A second chance. A new sunrise for someone else,” Monsanto said.
“Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. Your legacy will live on — in every heartbeat, every breath, every life made whole again. Thank you for giving the greatest gift of all — the gift of life,” she also said.
Monsanto also added the following hashtags in her post: #honorwalk, #organdonation, #GiftOfLife, #LegacyOfLove, #HeroAmongUs and #donatelife.
@kristelannesollan Today, we witnessed something truly powerful — an Honor Walk. A moment of silence, of reverence, of profound gratitude. As this selfless hero was wheeled through the hallway for the final time, every step was lined with love. Doctors. Nurses. Family. Strangers. All standing in quiet tribute to a life that chose to give even in its final moments. This wasn’t just a farewell — it was a celebration of the lives that will be saved because of one courageous “yes.” A beating heart. A second chance. A new sunrise for someone else. To this donor and their family: Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. Your legacy will live on — in every heartbeat, every breath, every life made whole again. Thank you for giving the greatest gift of all — the gift of life. #honorwalk #organdonation #GiftOfLife #LegacyOfLove #HeroAmongUs #donatelife ♬ Goodness Of God [Live] – CeCe Winans
The operation marked a medical milestone for the hospital after successfully performing its first multi-organ retrieval in the region.
The procedure was coordinated with the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EBFP), Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), and EVMC’s Help Encourage Recycle Organ (HERO) Donation Team.
EVMC said the retrieval included the donor’s liver, kidneys, and corneas, critical contributions that will benefit multiple patients awaiting transplantation.
“This milestone strengthens EVMC’s role as a leading institution in Eastern Visayas, paving the way for future organ donation and transplantation initiatives in the region,” hospital officials said.
— Rosette Adel; Viral Press