From Jordan River Baptism to Emergency Evacuation: Dr Seles's Unexpected Journey

Send us Fan MailDr. Seles shares her harrowing experience of being in Israel when war broke out in October, capturing both the fear of the situation and the remarkable perspective it gave her on American privilege.• Dr. Seles traveled to Israel with a church group of 60 people including her mother• She was baptized in the Jordan River by her childhood pastor who had originally baptized her 20+ years ago• Plans changed suddenly when they were redirected to Jerusalem due to a "developing situation"• They witnessed smoke in the distance as conflict began to escalate• The group had to evacuate to Jordan as airports closed and the situation worsened• Dr. Seles faced challenging experiences at border crossings related to her identity as a Black American woman• She and her mother (Ma Dukes) were separated onto different flights home due to limited evacuation options• The flight home was delayed due to airspace safety concerns, creating additional anxiety• The experience highlighted American passport privilege and the complex dynamics of race, gender, and religion in the regionStroke survivors may experience intensified seasonal depression and anxiety. Dr. Seles and Angie discuss how symptoms like winter blues that might have been a "five" before stroke can increase to a "seven" afterward, requiring additional management strategies.https://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merchhttps://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seleshttps://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. ...