TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
"Your voice of the transplant community"

Transplant Recipients International Organization Fact Sheet

Transplant Recipients International Organization, Inc. (TRIO) is a non-profit international organization committed to improving the quality of lives touched by the miracle of transplantation through support, advocacy, education, and awareness. Through the TRIO International Office and a network of chapters throughout the United States and the world, TRIO provides a range of services to its community, including Awareness, Support, Education and Advocacy.
Since its incorporation in 1987, TRIO has grown tremendously. A network of chapters, with many support groups in varying phases of development, provides a peer-counseling support system and facilitates programs to educate the public about the acute need for donation.

TRIO Facts

Tree of Life

Since its founding in 1987, TRIO's symbol has been the Tree of Life (a registered trademark). With its intertwining branches, it represents the intertwining of the lives of two human beings, the donor and the recipient, through the Gift of Life. Green, the color of growth and new life, was chosen for the tree to reinforce the new beginning transplantation gives to the recipient.
TRIO's accomplishments are many - both through the International headquarters and local chapters worldwide. TRIO has:
  • Established itself as the primary organization representing transplant candidates, recipients, donors and their families for the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Division of Transplantation.
  • Advocated for legislation that created National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week (NOTDAW). This national endeavor has now grown into "National Donate Life Month." TRIO and the transplant community now celebrate Donate Life Month throughout the month of April each year.
  • Co-sponsored the National Donor Sabbath Weekend with HHS's Division of Transplantation. TRIO members work closely with their spiritual leaders to share the donor awareness message with followers at services the second weekend in November.
  • Testified before Congress about regulations that affect organ and tissue donation and transplantation. TRIO works closely with Senators and Congressmen as a member of the Transplant Roundtable to ensure that the patient and donor family's voice is heard.
  • Created a national "Transplant Presentation Library" of recorded presentations on DVD's featuring transplant topics of interest that are posted on YouTube and indexed under RESOURCES on this TRIO website. As of 2020 this on-line library contained over 100 presentations on a large variety of topics.
  • Hosted national conferences and "Leadership Summits" to provide workshops educating patients and others on topics of interest, held in various parts of the country, somewhat annually.
TRIO continues to work on behalf of transplant candidates and recipients by advocating for extension of Medicare's immunosuppressive drug coverage and for other bills of concern to candidates, recipients, donors, and donor families.