The surgery is successful, and the recovery is going well.  You are sent home with a functioning organ given as the most amazing gift.  You’re alive but overwhelmed.  Many recipients experience a feeling of now what that settles in between doctor’s appointments and maneuvering a new normal.  One of the best therapies for transplant recipients is to talk with someone who intimately shares a similar journey.

Chris Shay-Downer, former transplant nurse and now the President of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of Transplant Recipients International organization – or TRIO as it is more commonly known, shares why this is a widely recognized organization that brings together transplant recipients, those waiting for a transplant, and their families – along with donor families for the purpose of supporting those who have been touched by transplantation.