It's a solemn tradition where hospital staff and loved ones stand shoulder-to-shoulder along a hallway to pay tribute to the donor's final act of saving another through organ donation.
It's a walk that begins with loss.
"We have 9,000 recipients waiting on the waitlist, and if it wasn't for our donor families, that would not be possible," said OneLegacy CEO Dr. Prasad Garimella. "They are saving lives."
OneLegacy is a federally-designated organ procurement organization serving seven counties in Southern California. The nonprofit works with 215 hospitals to coordinate donations of organs, tissue and corneas when a patient's life has ended or is nearing its end.
By law, hospitals in California are required to identify potential organ and tissue donors.
"If that patient meets that clinical trigger then the referral is made to OneLegacy," said Garimella. "Upon that, our staff will respond to that referral and assess for organ donation suitability."
Most donations follow a declaration of brain death, but there's a growing number of cases involving donation after circulatory death, also known as DCD.
"Last year, over 44% of all donations were with donations after circulator death. Twenty thousand recipients received a lifesaving organ from donation after circulatory death," said Garimella.
DCD applies when a patient has suffered irreversible loss of heart or lung function and is on life support. The patient's family must decide whether to remove life support.
"That decision is a combination between the attending physician and the family," said Garimella. "That's the process that is probably the most difficult."
But the DCD process has come under new scrutiny.
A Department of Health and Human Services investigation into a Kentucky-based organ procurement organization found "concerning patterns of risk" in the initial planning of organ recovery, particularly in smaller or rural hospitals.
The investigation revealed instances where potential donors were prepared for organ retrieval while still exhibiting signs of life or improvement.
"Transparency is key to improving the system and repairing the public trust," said Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa). "This committee has and will continue to follow the facts so that we can restore trust and accountability within the system."
As a result of the investigation, new safeguards are being implemented to protect donor patients across the United States.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, one of two federal agencies overseeing organ donation, has directed the national transplant network to develop policies that halt a donation any time a family member, hospital staff or organ recovery staff expresses concern about a patient's eligibility.
The investigation has caused some public concern.
Donate Life California, which oversees the donor register, noted a dramatic rise in the number of people removing themselves from the registry in the past several days, noting 841 removals in a single day.
"I think with the rapid grow in donation after circulatory death, I think it is the right time to highlight it and start looking at process change," said Garimella.
While already a very robust and safe process in California, any additional safety measures help ensures an organ donor's final act is one of compassion and not controversy.