Summer and Fall 2006

In the school year 2005 and 2006 Melodina achieved the School's Honour Roll. By the end of the school year she was off steroids. At the time she was bloated from the medication but she had done well in school, she was training in Karate and looking forward to the next ski season. We were hopeful, even expectant. We assumed that whatever her disease was that she was recovered.

In July 2006 Melodina stayed with her sister and brother in law in Kitchener. She rode her bike every day to summer school to study grade 10 science so as to ease her course load the following winter. In addition she went to the Do Jo to train in Karate three times a week. In August she suspended her Karate training in order to go to Zermat Switzerland and train with her ski team on snow on the glacier there. It was a great summer. She was still not back to her original strength but was improving steadily.

September brought school and twice a week Karate. As well she rode her bike with me regularly. She beat me up all the climbs and there are lots of hills in our area. She also beat me in the final sprint up our street to the drive. In October it was off to Zermatt for more ski training. One week after she returned from Switzerland Melodina successfully completed her Black Belt Test in Karate. We went to clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children that week. Her blood tests came back better than normal and both the doctors and Melodina as well as Indira and myself thought she was cured.. The next clinic date was scheduled for February 12th, 2007.

We took a family vacation to India and everyone enjoyed themselves. We spent time with Indira's family and some time travelling. Harmony Mike and Hannah came with us. Melodina saw her Grandmother, her Cousins and her Aunts and Uncles. We were back in Canada for a week and Melodina was off to Mt. Ste. Anne in Quebec with her ski team. We had a great family Christmas and despite the lack of snow that winter Mel's coaches found places to train. Mel was entering the races for the Federation International du Ski (FIS) for the first time that season.

So went the last half or 2006. New Years ended on a high note. The Herman Family was happy and the future looked bright.