Thank you, Icelanders

Recently, the new advertisement from the Icelandic Spinal Cord Injury Institute, “A Call to the World to Cure Paralysis,” has been aired on RÚV and across social media. In Iceland alone, it has been viewed over a million times on social media platforms.

I want to thank the Icelandic people for supporting the creation of this powerful advertisement and for all the help they have given me and the Spinal Cord Injury Institute over the years. While I may be leading this initiative, I see it as a mission that belongs to all Icelanders. Tens of thousands—if not more—have contributed in various ways.

Through persistent advocacy, even with the smallest efforts, the Spinal Cord Injury Institute has gradually drawn attention to the urgent need for a cure for spinal cord injuries and paralysis. This work has led to significant milestones, such as:

• The Nordic Council recognizing spinal cord injuries as a priority issue and allocating funding for registry coordination across the Nordic countries.
• The United Nations including "neurological disorders" in its long-term agenda for global health.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) incorporating neurological disorders into its ongoing Decade of Action for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Conditions, running until 2031.

However, there is still much to be done. One of our next objectives is for WHO to appoint a globally recognized figure as a goodwill ambassador for the nervous system. Their role would be to raise awareness about WHO’s Decade of Action, mobilizing governments, financial institutions, AI specialists, scientists, doctors, the public, and most importantly, the media.

It would be truly extraordinary if David Beckham were to take on such a role.

What’s Next?

The next major step for the Spinal Cord Injury Institute is to launch a targeted social media campaign for “A Call to the World” in the United States. To fund this, we are reaching out and asking people to contribute 4,900 ISK as a one-time donation.

I ask those who have the means to support this effort as generously as they always have.

Through relentless advocacy and encouragement in the right places, I hope that, in the end, Iceland will stand as a nation that helped pave the way for a cure for paralysis.

Because finding a cure is not solely the responsibility of science—though it certainly leads the way and carries much of the burden.

It is something we must all work toward, together.