What the Pandemic is Shouting at Us

To say that this COVID crisis is shining a light on a lot of problems is like saying the Titanic had a bit of a water issue. We are absolutely swimming in significant problems that either need top-to-bottom change or that we desperately need to know more about.

The sickness itself is called a novel virus for a reason…so it makes perfect sense that we need learn everything we can about it so we can hurry up and develop effective treatments and vaccines. Like yesterday. And it makes you wonder what else we don’t know medically that could also make us vulnerable to devastating consequences.

Among the things that COVID has slapped us in the face about is the flat-out necessity of solid medical research and its power to keep our planet spinning the way it’s supposed to. If nothing else, this pandemic has highlighted that medical mysteries can knock things out of whack like we never could have possibly imagined. We’ve had to stop our world as we know it, sit up straight and pay non-flinching attention to this catastrophe. And that’s scary. And humbling. And required. What can you do about it? How do you feel about an easy action that nearly everyone can take to provide a precious resource for medical research?

It’s simple: Donate your brain.
Make arrangements now to give it up to neuroscience research when you’re finished using it. Whether yours is healthy or you have a neurologic disorder – doesn’t matter. Scientists need the tissue. And they need it badly to advance the science of brain disease.

For the sake of everything holy, do not let the powerful lessons staring us in the face during this pandemic get away from us. Consider honoring the lives lost and harmed by what we did not know…by contributing what you can to what we will learn.

Science needs us. All of us.