"Some gifts are tiny. Some gifts are needed. And some gifts... some gifts are priceless, "says 26-year-old Sarah Bricker of Minneapolis, USA. She had suffered from（受…之苦） hearing loss until she received the gift two years ago for Christmas --her first hearing aids（助听器）. They were from her parents. Here's what else she says:
"I remember the moment they were fit to my ears. And I remember every first that came after--The first time I heard my mother's voice. The first time I heard my father cry as he realized 1 could hear my mother. The first time I listened to Winter Wonderland on the radio and heard every word clearly. The first time I heard my best friend's voice, calling from England to wish me a Merry Christmas.
"My hearing aids are probably the best Christmas gift my parents have ever given to me. It might sound strange to say that, but until you lose your hearing, you never fully understand how unbelievablly valuable it is. How you miss the moment your partner says 'I love you. How you miss the jokes that everyone laughs at. How you miss- life. But now I don't miss life anymore."
However, he hearing aids were more than Just about hearing. They gave Sarah self-confidence（自信）,more chances to make new friends, the courage to take on new challenges. "Every day, they return to me a moment, a sound, a voice. They return to me the kaleidoscope（万花筒） of a life I'd once thought forever dark."
