The Heartbeat of TRIO: Finding Support Close to Home
Every transplant recipient and caregiver understands the journey: it is a marathon, not a sprint, and while the medical teams are brilliant, the emotional and logistical toll can feel isolating. During my journey, I had my support group here, at my website. I began to see the value in having a local support group. I tried to attend a meeting, but was got lost on my first try and just went it alone.
Post transplant, the idea of support kept coming back to me. In fact, I was making plans to purchase a rental property and run a non-profit for patients post-transplant when Lorrinda Gray Davis called me. She had the same heart and passion, and with different vision. In fact, Lorrinda had already connected with Transplant Recipients International. TRIO National and was dedicated to starting a local peer support chapter in Oklahoma—she sold me on the idea!
This critical need for local, consistent peer support is what led to the founding of the Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) Oklahoma Chapter. Learn more here about TRIO.
Our launch coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While I served as Vice President for the first two years and paid a designer to launch our website, Lorrinda’s quick pivot to Zoom meetings ensured our community thrived virtually and was well-received, even as I was running separate Zoom rooms to help families with student homeschooling.
It has been an honor to support Lorrinda and her board as they build this community. The mission remains simple: to connect, educate, and advocate for transplant patients. That includes those awaiting a transplant, and their dedicated caregivers.
Our Vision: A Chapter in Every State
TRIO is a global organization, with 13 chapters worldwide working tirelessly to improve the lives of transplant patients. But here in the United States, we still have vast distances to cover.
My biggest goal now is not just to sustain TRIO Oklahoma, but to replicate our success and momentum by starting new chapters in other states.
- Why Expansion Matters: Every state has unique challenges in organ donation, medical access, and patient demographics. A local chapter ensures that advocacy is targeted, educational resources are relevant, and support groups are easily accessible.
- The Blueprint for Growth: We are developing a clear, actionable roadmap—from securing initial seed funding to registering the chapter and identifying passionate local leaders—to help determined individuals launch their own successful TRIO chapters.
If you are a recipient, caregiver, or medical professional outside of Oklahoma and are ready to lead this charge, please reach out. We have the foundational knowledge; we just need your local dedication!
Integrating Support: Partnering with Transplant Centers
The next major pillar of our mission is to seamlessly bridge the gap between hospital care and long-term community support. This means aggressively pursuing partnerships with more transplant centers and formalizing the coordination of peer support with hospital teams.
It is my strong belief that peer support should not be a ‘nice-to-have’ after-thought. Instead, it should be an integrated component of the transplant protocol.
- Pre- and Post-Op Support: We want to ensure that every patient entering the transplant process is immediately connected with a peer mentor who has successfully navigated the same experience.
- Education and Resources: By partnering with hospital social work teams, we can ensure that every patient leaves the hospital with our localized resources and a clear invitation to join a support meeting.
- Shared Advocacy: We aim to collaborate with centers on shared advocacy goals, fighting together for policies that benefit both patients and the organ donation system.
Join the Mission
The journey to bring a TRIO chapter to every state. We want to fully integrate peer support into clinical care. It’s a huge task, but it is achievable with your help.
You can be a listener, volunteer your time, or share your story. You may connect us with potential partners at a transplant center. Every effort moves us closer to a future where no transplant patient ever feels alone.
How to Get Involved:
- Volunteer: Join a support meeting or help us with administrative tasks.
- Donate: Support the costs of developing our expansion materials.
- Connect: If you work at a transplant center, let’s discuss how we can formalize a peer support partnership.
The Heartbeat of TRIO: Finding Support Close to Home
Contact Lorrinda here or on facebook to find out how you can join the next zoom meeting being held. With 3 meetings a week, you can sit in and listen, ask questions, or tell your story. It’s unconditional love and support in a TRIO Peer Support group. Start today. There is no need to go another day without being heard. You will feel understood by someone who is in your shoes, or has been where you are.
As always, your best friend in the battle. xo Karen
