A poignant tribute unfolded at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) after the hospital held its first-ever honor walk for a multi-organ donor who gave the gift of life to others.
On August 19, medical staff, nurses, doctors, and family members lined the hallways as John Evan Caspe Almejas, declared brain-dead, was wheeled toward the operating room. In silence, they paid their final respects to the man who donated his liver, kidneys, and corneas.
The touching moment, captured by Kristel Anne Monsanto and shared on TikTok, has since touched millions, gaining over 2.6 million views. “Today, we witnessed something truly powerful — an honour walk. A moment of silence, of reverence, of profound gratitude,” Monsanto wrote in her post. She described the scene as a “celebration of the lives that will be saved because of one courageous ‘yes.’”
Almejas’ donation marked a milestone for EVMC, which successfully carried out its first multi-organ retrieval with support from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. Hospital officials said the procedure underscores EVMC’s growing role in organ donation and transplantation initiatives in Eastern Visayas.
