A Christmas Clinical Hamper
Indeed, Thrill Seekers and Fellow Time Travelers, the season is upon us when the tradition of gift-giving will soon take centre stage!
This year, my Christmas Hamper takes on a distinct yet equally meaningful approach.Instead of the usual chocolates and stale, year-old crackers, I am delighted to present to you, through this letter, your specially curated Christmas Clinical Hamper.
Beneath the digital wrapping and ethereal tinsel, the hamper reveals an array of messages, videographics and curated internet links, designed to enhance the joy and fellowship of this special season.
Some of these gifts may look familiar, and that's intentional—they're all designed with a shared goal in mind: to highlight, enhance, or remind you of the core mission of the work [clinicians, survivors, and carers] do—the management and treatment of Stroke in Australia.
Let's pull up a chair, pour a glass of delicious eggnog, grab a slice of Christmas cake, and unpack the hamper.
And whilst we are doing that here is some Christmas music from Kings College, Cambridge
But this time my Christmas Hamper is somewhat different- but just as relevant!
The first two items in the hamper are two videos of StrokeEd's Webinars.
In November 2025, StrokeEd hosted a highly informative and engaging webinar titled "Design Your Own Rehab - A Discussion for Stroke Survivors," which was skillfully moderated by Associate Professor Simone Dorsch.
StrokeEd’s Webinars may have disappeared into cyberspace, but their wisdom lives on.
I-REBOUND, an online resource for stroke survivors, continued to play an important role in the Australian stroke landscape throughout 2025.
As a member of I-REBOUND’s Consumer Advisory Group, I continued promoting I-REBOUND through targeted online activities to support the Stroke Foundation’s ongoing promotion on EnableMe.Click here to see my most recent blog on I-REBOUND.
“More than a Paper. Ways to share Research” at PxP’s 2025 Conference.
During 2025 I had the pleasure to be a panellist on a presentation titled “More than a Paper. Ways to share Research” at PxP’s 2025 Conference.
This online Conference was attended by over 700 patients, survivors, clinicians, and researchers from over 43 countries and you can watch our discussion on the attached link - Click Here.
Throughout 2025, I published a series of blog posts that deeply resonated with my audience, and I am pleased to share them here for your enjoyment during this festive season.
My Top Ten [or so] Favorite blogs....
The Special Qualities of Stroke Survivors Who Share Their Lived Experiences.
The Heroes of Stroke -My Tribute To Stroke Week 2025.
Is There an "End" to My Stroke Rehabilitation?
How to Maximise the Benefits of Stroke Survivors Speaking at Medical Conferences.
Why Stroke Survivors Should Never Be Reluctant to Get Involved in Co-Design.
The amazing power of music - A bit of Beh history.
My desire for Solitude...... Sometimes.
Nine Years of Support, Compassion and Understanding.
My Christmas Wish to the Children of The Middle East.
It was about 10pm on Christmas Eve 1968, and after working in the teller’s box of the Rural Bank, Quirindi I was driving home alone,down the New England Highway towards my home in Singleton.
I was listening to the late-night announcer on 2TM Tamworth when suddenly he broke into the music and announced that the Apollo 8 Astronauts had gone into lunar orbit.
Remember Gang, this was some seven months before they actually landed on the moon and there right in front of me was the moon, a huge silver disc in a cloudless sky!
When I heard this announcement, I actually tried to look and see whether I could see the capsule - not knowing that it was 241,000 miles away, such was the excitement back then!
He then played a tape of the astronauts in the capsule announcing that they gone into lunar orbit. As it was Christmas Eve, they read verses from the Book of Genesis.
To me, alone on that empty road, listening to those words, Time stood still!
Then the announcer played Silent Night the German version
That memory always returns every Christmas Eve, the purity of the night sky, the moon,and me -I was a witness to history!
I had no idea that the following year 1969 would turn out to be a pivotal year in my life—I would travel abroad, meet incredible new friends, attend a music festival now etched into the history of the ’60s, and endure a personal tragedy that still haunts me to this day.
I would have not have swapped anything for those days as they made the person I am today.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas filled with the special peace this season brings. May your days be calm, your heart be light, and may you find moments of quiet joy with those you cherish. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Brian A Beh - A Stroke Survivor