The First Hours

Monday January 9th, 2006, was the first day back at school after Christmas break. Indira took Melodina to the doctor on the way to school. Mel saw Shelburne's only doctor and continued on to Centre Dufferin District High School. After classes she took the school bus home to the bottom of our street in Hornings Mills. The next day, Tuesday, I drove Melodina to school and then headed to Blue Mountain for a day of skiing.

Indira picked Melodina up after school and drove her to hospital for chest x-rays then home. In the meantime I was enjoying a day on the slopes. When I came into the chalet to change and prepare to drive home I discovered that my bag and all belongings in it were missing. I gave an official report to the resort's security and was told several people had had their possessions taken that day.

Included in the lost items were my cell phone and my car keys. I needed a ride home. I knew Indira would come and get me so I called home - collect. My mother answered the phone and told me Indira was not there. "Do you know what happened to Melodina?" she asked. I thought about it for several seconds and replied that I knew Melodina had gone for a chest x-ray that afternoon. My Mom said "Melodina is in the hospital." I didn't know whether she would be in the Selburne "hospital" where the doctor's office and the medical laboratory was or the larger Headwaters Hospital in Orangeville. When I enquire my 83 year old Mom said "Oh James, Its hard enough for me to remember that she's in the hospital. I have no idea which one."

There I was, no car keys, my daughter was in a hospital somewhere. My wife was with her. I felt helpless, alone, confused and perhaps just a little guilty that I had enjoyed my day while I could have been helping with more serious events. The first thing to do was calm down and think clearly. I was in a pickle and needed to discover solutions quickly.

It's hard to meditate when in a large public ski chalet. I bought a cup of hot chocolate, sat down and tried to think meditatively. Slowly sipping my chocolate and going over the events of the day I remembered that I had left my credit card, driver's licence and other cards in the car. At least they weren't stolen I thought hopefully. Then it came to me. I had a key to the car door. It wouldn't work in the ignition. When it was made I was warned never to use it to start the car or the computer system that keeps the vehicle going would fail. The key should be in a container magnetically held under the car in a wheel well.

Hoping with all my hope I walked out to the parking lot. Somewhat fearfully I reached under the wheel well and pulled my hand back dirty with road slime and holding a small metal box. It was corroded and filthy with dirt from the road but after several trys the lid slid open and a brand new, clean key came into view. I opened the car door and the alarm went off. Since I didn't have the proper manufacturer's key I couldn't turn the alarm off. I quickly grabbed my wallet with my cards and shut and locked the door. The alarm continued to alert anyone in the vicinity that something was not right. Trying to appear calm and innocent I sauntered slowly back toward the chalet.

Eventually, I got a taxi and drove to the local chrysler dealer. I was too late in the day to get a new key made. I rented a car with my credit card and drove home. Mom was doing well on her own. Indira had phoned Janet Archer in Kitchener, my mother said. She was on her way to care for her. Janet is a friend of many years and a wonderful soul who looked after elderly people in their homes before she retired. She helped us often those first few weeks. Without Janet we would not have been able to stay with Melodina in Toronto. She's a saint and I'm grateful for her selfless service.

Then it was onto the Shelburne Hospital. The search for Melodina and Indira began in earnest.

In the Beginning

Melodina had been training in Quebec, at Mt. Ste. Anne, just before Christmas in 2005. She was upset that her coaches thought she was being lazy. She came home for Christmas and did seem tired. After Christmas she continued to train. We were aware that something was wrong. I remember saying to my wife, Indira, that our daughter needed a rest. Because ski racing was akin to breathing in importance for Melodina we knew she would not rest until April.

Slight fevers in the evenings did not deter the determined young woman from skiing the next day. Every morning Melodina would carry two pairs of skiis and her heavy ski boots to the hill and hours of intensive technical development would begin again. She was expecting to do well that year. Goals included medals in K2 individual racing. She was skiing exceptionally well. Melodina had had some success within her own team during practice races but she wanted to be ranked with the best in her age in Canada.

The first race for national points was held at Osler Bluffs Ski Club in Collingwood, Ontario the Thursday before the end of Christmas Break. Parents were quietly waiting in nervous anticipation as our teenage charges prepared, with their coahes, for the season opener. At this stage a parent becomes useless. Interference is frowned upon by both coaches and atheletes alike. All one can do is watch and hope that the daughter you love survives this one event with her lofty goals and high spirits both in tact.

This is serious stuff to many of the racers. Some parents are also rabid promoters of their own childen. I always tried to remain focused on the fact that at the end of the day it's just skiing. Never the less for Melodina it was her life and the goals for her future were and still are tied up in ski racing. I admit that I get intense, perhaps too intense, sometimes, trying to support her in reaching her goals.

Melodina has developed greatly as a person through sport - both skiing and karate, her main cross training activity. While developing as a racer the athelete needs will power and focus. Home work must be done even when training means you miss classes. You learn to do activities that you may not otherwise choose to do. Waking up at five in the morning and being on the hill ready to train by seven is not what teens normally look forward to in the morning. Running up and down hills, focused training on snow for five hours, followed by intensive exercise makes for a long day. These kids learn to do what is necessary to reach the goals they've set.

I have also noticed that the kids that work hardest at sports also do well in school. This has little to do with talent. Some are natural athletes and some are natural students. Still there seems to be a co-relationship between working hard at sports and working hard at studies. There is also the team aspect, even in the individual sports like skiing and karate. The kids learn to learn from their teammates and they learn to help each other. They learn to cheer for others on their team and be happy when they are successful.

Athletes live and train in close proximity with other kids. Sometimes these are kids they might not normally associate with. Learning to get along in work, at play and in social situations is a great bonus. Pity the coaches. They have to deal with the sport, which most are experts at, but there is also dealling with a diverse group of teens and all that goes along with that.

Back to the race. This first contest was a Giant Slalom. It consists of two runs down a prescribed course with lots of gates or turns. Giant Slalom is considered a technical event because of the number of turns in the course. On the first run Melodina skied very well. She looked magnificent. Each turn was perfect and beautiful. She literally flowed from gate to gate and she was slow.

In between runs Melodina sat with me in the chalet. This was unusual. Often she sits with her teammates. I noticed that she was shivering and asked if she was cold. The answer was no so I felt her forehead - she was burning up. Melodina insisted on racing the second run, an effort that proved even slower than the first. At home we discovered that the local doctor was away until Monday. The fever was gone so we made an appointment.

Friday and Saturday Melodina trained with her team. The coach told her she was too tired and to take Sunday off. Monday morning her mother took Melodina to the doctor.

Present Battle

It's been a long time since Melodina first entered the hospital in Jamuary of 2005. She has recieved several different treatment protocols - most of which did not work. I will detail these struggles their failures, the inspiration, and the successes in future blogs.

In February of this year Melodina had a Bone Marrow Transplant. Today Melodina appears to be cancer free. We are battling the the life threating results of the need to keep her immune system supressed while the donor cells become used to their new host body - Melodina's body.

The drugs that are available to fight the CMV virus - a virus that has killed many bone marrow transplant patients in the past - are horrible. You could call them "righteous poison". Because of the medication necessary to save her life Melodina's kidney's and liver are being compromised - again.

I am worried that in fighting this virus Melodina will end up needing a new transplant, a liver transplant. This is not necessary. There is a new drug presently in stage three clinical trials in California. Maribavir has been shown to be very effective in preventing and treating the CMV virus in post bone marrow transplant patients. Maribavir does not have the negative side effects on the liver and kidneys that the drugs allowed by Health and Welfare Canada or the drugs allowed by the Ontario Government.

Yesterday I e-mailed the Minister of Health and Long Term Care in Ontario twice, begging him to allow this drug for Melodina on compassionate grounds. The Doctors at Sick Kids are phoning Health and Welfare Canada trying to explain the urgency for Melodina to have access to Maribavir. We are hoping and praying. We are requesting and we are begging. I will keep readers of this blog informed as to our success.

Introduction to Melodina

Melodina is a teenage girl with dreams for her future. She works hard at the things that will help her achieve that future. Her dreams - to be successful in her education and to be a successful international ski racer - eventually an olympian.

The morning of the day she first went by ambulance from our country home to Orangeville hospital and on to Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto Melodina had written a math exam. She passed with honours. Mel had been training for ski racing only two days earlier. The doctors later admitted that they thought she should probably have died three months earlier.

Since she was of pre school age Melodina has had the natural ability to set goals and then work on the steps needed to achieve her goals. This ability to plan and her iron will to achieve has undoubtedly contributed in a huge way to keeping her alive. It is because she sees a future and works towards it that Melodina is alive today.

Melodina is still fighting. Melodina still has her dreams and Melodina has inspired people all over the world with her exceptional courage and her ability to keep her dreams alive. This blog is a testament to Melodina and it is intended to give hope and encouragement to all children and all parents who face the spector of childhood/teenage cancer.

Say Hello to Melodina

My daughter Melodina got sick towards the end of 2005. Melodina went to Chilli in August to train for her 2006 alpine ski race season. She was 14 years old, an honours student and a brown belt in Karate. Throughtout the fall she continued to train. She visited her mother's family in India and she attended school when possible, achieving honours in her first year of high school.