It was Christmas Day. For Antony, this was another day spent in a white-walled 1 . His wife and son were enjoying chicken and soup at home. But for Antony, he couldn't enjoy the Christmas 2 with them. Instead, he was surrounded by flashes of red from arriving ambulances. He was 3 lives.
About fifty years ago, Antony was born in a little 4 in Northern Greece, where religious festivities were upheld with the highest honor. However, he was a boy who 5 Santa. When asked the reason, he laughed out and said, "He was always there, but he never 6 me Christmas presents." His laugh then turned into a(n) 7 yell, trying to get emotional resonance (共鸣). He continued, "All the other children in the village got Christmas 8 except me."
When he was a boy, his parents struggled hard to make ends meet and couldn't 9 to buy him gifts. He was left to think Santa was an 10 magical man who always forgot him. Santa brought the other children presents, but ignored him. People could never imagine what it was like for him to watch all the other 11 open their Christmas presents.
12 , when other children in the village played with new toys, Antony passed the time by reading his older brother's 13 textbooks. His appetite for reading and the example his older brother set 14 him to study hard and become a 15 . Antony is now a senior cardiologist. He works 16 at the hospital, close to the village where he grew up.
Doctors are especially needed, and Antony is not relying on Santa to deliver. He is at the hospital, like Santa, faithfully 17 the greatest gift of all. Antony teaches us that we can rise from 18 beginnings. His story shows us that though we may not grow up having what others do, with the right 19 and hard work, we can do something 20 .
