In high school, I used to listen to Gloria Gaynor's disco anthem, “I Will Survive,” on repeat. Little did I know the wells of understanding from which that iconic song sprang.
Through hard work, perseverance, and sheer strength of will, the superstar, who suffered a spinal disc injury in her 20s, battled chronic severe pain and discomfort—an experience she looks back on in our cover story (“How Spinal Surgery Helped Gloria Gaynor Beat Chronic Pain and Return to the Stage”). In the decades since, Gaynor endured multiple surgeries and had her spine rebuilt with metal rods. Despite this, she remained positive and joyful and kept singing. As she says, her anthem “isn't just a song, it's a mindset”—and she lives that truth daily.
The same discipline and motivation that Gaynor embodies are seen in our feature about retired Army Sgt. Jason Tabansky (“After a Spinal Cord Injury, This Retired Army Sergeant Pivoted to Para Archery”), who injured his spinal cord while serving in the military. Despite his partial paralysis, the former bow hunter became a Paralympic goldmedalist in para archery. He describes putting in hard work, staying vigilant about his medical condition, and surrounding himself with positive, supportive people.
But what happens when the unexpected happens—when those people you rely on can no longer be there for you? Our Caregiving story (“Why Advanced Care Planning Is Essential for Caregivers”) offers tips for what to do if your support person unexpectedly becomes unavailable.
And in our feature on peer mentorship (“How Peer Mentors Can Help Patients Navigate Life with Neurologic Disease”), we share the benefits of this supportive practice that pairs someone with a medical condition with someone with the same condition to offer support, understanding, and guidance. The trauma of a new diagnosis can itself be a struggle, and having someone to lay a roadmap for you, through lived experience, is incredibly powerful.
In this issue, we have highlighted themes of perseverance, adaptability, and shared experiences. These elements are especially fitting, given that this will be the last print issue of Brain & Life. Over the past two decades, Brain & Life, formerly known as Neurology Now, has been your trusted partner through thick and thin—the COVID pandemic, technological advancements, and the ups and downs in your own lives. We have always been committed to bringing you the most trusted brain health information and to providing useful, practical education on topics both personal and universal. And we will continue to do just that, and more, in expanded and exciting new ways on our website.
Though the change is bittersweet, we are adapting with the times. Online, we hope to bring you even more valuable and interesting brain health information in fresh and stimulating ways. We plan to use video and audio formats—among other innovative platforms—to make these stories interactive and accessible to all. We will, as always, report information that you can trust to be scientifically accurate, with each piece vetted by neurologists. We will continuously strive to provide you with the information you need, update you on the latest clinical research, and support your needs.
Online, we will be able to connect you immediately with urgent advocacy initiatives, integrate with other partner organizations, and ultimately be a place where you can freely share your experiences and find support in community. We want to work beyond the walls of these pages to reach you in a way that print may not have been able to.
I fervently hope you will continue to visit our site to see all of the latest and great content we have planned. We will of course maintain the columns and features you have loved in Brain & Life, including pieces on caregiving; intimate, first-person accounts of people living with neurologic disease; updates on scientific research; questions answered by neurologists; and inspirational features on individuals. The vast majority of our previous content will remain available for your perusal, as we plan to update stories and make things easy to search for. We also will continue to ask you what you would like to know and learn more about. You are first and foremost in our thoughts.
As Gaynor says, “I Will Survive” is a mindset. At Brain & Life, we have been honored to serve as a witness, to represent you and your loved ones, and to educate the public. You have taken us into your lives, and we are humbled by your trust. I firmly believe that the ties and connections we have grown here will carry through and flourish in novel and surprising ways on our website. I can't wait for you to see what we have in store for you. Until then, as always, thank you.
Sarah Song, MD, MPH, FAAN, Editor in Chief
