Sears National Kids Cancer Ride

Here I am with Kurt Harnett in front of The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, June 20, 2009.

Wonderful everyone!!! Three times I raised my goal and each time people responded and each time more money came and I, once again, reached my goal. Thank you so very much.

I rode 82 kilometers yesterday in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride. I haven't ridden that distance in years and this was only my fifth time on a bike this year. On top of that it was raining for the first two thirds of the ride. It was an adventure for me but I kept thinking that if Melodina had made that commitment she would have used her will power to keep up. I'd drop back a bit and then push and catch up. In the end I rode into sick kids Hospital beside Kurt Harnett, Canadian cycling World Champion, four times Olympian and three times Olympic medalist.

It was a thrill to meet Kurt. I met him first at Sherway Gardens in Mississauga when we were both called up to the podium to speak. After the speeches I got hugs from many people, some who had lost their own children to cancer. It was an emotional time.

Kurt Harnett and I began and finished the final 20 kilometers together. In between when I was struggling Heather Jagar, one of the National Riders from Alberta rode with me. When I told her I was fine and she could ride ahead Heather said she enjoyed riding slowly and her legs could use a rest. My one fall was when I was riding beside her. (a few people fell in the rain yesterday but nobody was hurt) She didn't need to stay with those of us who were slower but she did. Thanks Heather. Eventually I got my second legs and finished comfortably.

Jesse Porter, Melodina's boyfriend from British Columbia, was there. Jesse is and incredible young man who supported Melodina in wonderful ways while she was alive and supported our family after she passed away. We like to think we are Jesse's Ontario family. Jesse is a very good photographer and he wanted to volunteer on the ride. Unfortunately the ride only takes along people who are twenty five or older because their insurance says these are the only people who are insured to drive. Jesse persisted. He told Melodina's story and he kept after them. The organisers called him in Invermere BC the afternoon before the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride began and said if he was in Vancouver by nine in the Morning he was going along. Jessie was there and yesterday the organisers had nothing but praise for this teenager who was not only taking hundred of photos a day but always looking for was to help out. They were very pleased that he came along. I felt so proud, like he was my own son. Linda, his mother must be very proud as well.

Harmony is an official "Ambassador" for the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride. Her job yesterday was to meet and greret people arriving at the community event on the front lawn of Sick Kids. Its great to hav her involved.

At Sick Kids I was met by Indira, Harmony, Mike, Hannah and Carter along with my sister Ellen, Uncle Bill and Aunt Lorna. It was good to see them. There were lots of people there. Some were Cancer Kids from the Hospital. In addition to talking about Melodina at Sherway Gardens, I talked about Cancer Kids and, how, as a group, they are the most incredible kids I have met anywhere in the world.


As if to emphasize the point I ran into the father who has a two and a half year old daughter with cancer whotold me what a twelve year old cancer boy told him and him and his wife. He was in the hall of a ward at Sick Kids. I know this boy and I know that he has suffered way more than most. He was told many months ago that he was going to die but so far he is alive. I saw him last week and he was smiling and positive in his attitude about his future. This boy looked at the parents of the little girl and said " Little children shouldn't have to suffer the way your daughter suffers. If I could I would die so that she could live and be healthy." The father had tears in his eyes as he told me this story and I had tears in my eyes as I listened. Cancer Kids are wonderful and they are worth saving.

If anyone would still like to donate to the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, you can still sponsor me at: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/LoginRegister.aspx?EventID=25787&LangPref=en-CA and click on James Herman and the click Donate Now. Thank you all for your interest. You're wonderful and I love you.

Sick Kids Hospital

Indira and I had spent a lot of time (virtually all of our time) trying to be with and help Melodina for the last years of her life. It was hard, it was sad, it was inspirational in many ways. Melodina was amazing so were the other cancer kids. They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I would not give up a minute of it. Indira and I were talking about the cancer kids with a doctor when we visited the Hospital for Sick Children today. We all agreed that, as a group, they are, in many inspirational ways, the most positively awesome children we have ever encountered anywhere.

It was only the second time we had been back to the hospital since Melodina passed away. We left some information that we hope will help the hospital to improve its service to the children and the families it serves. It is a wonderful thing that Sick Kids is constantly trying to improve the way they do things. They're not perfect but they do try to always improve and that is the sign of a great institution.

After Melodina died there was a period when I was quite lost regarding purpose in my life. It wasn't that I had a loss of faith; I just couldn't function well and it was hard to understand what to do now. I still have days like that but generally three projects have helped me past feelings of hopelessness. I have decided that Melodina's story is important, ongoing and inspirational. Therefore I continue to update this Blog. Our family has decided to try to use our experience to help the Hospital to improve the way they do things with a particular focus on the kids and their families. Third, as a family we are involved in fundraising for research into childhood illness, particularly cancer.

So we went to the hospital today knowing that it would be difficult but feeling that we should. I delivered the information I had brought with me to the mail room and then we went looking to people we know. We met and talked happily with some of the hospital staff. It was good to see people who had cared deeply about Melodina. We exchanged some e-mails and phone numbers. We learned that some children we knew were in the hospital - some very sick - others just there for routine follow up. We first went to the oncology clinic and saw a young boy who is doing very well. The idea that Melodina might have been attending the clinic was, however, very hard. We saw great nurses and kind doctors and we went to one of the wards that Melodina had spent a lot of time on and talked to both children and parents, some of whom needed encouragement and strength. Its a hard life for the whole family on a childhood cancer ward.

All in all it was a difficult but good day. We spent time with some beautiful people and we faced some of our own difficulties. People who suffer and those who serve the ones who suffer are a very meaningful part of this life.

Ambassador

The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride has asked if Indira and I would honor Melodina by allowing them to use her and her story as an "Ambassador". We gladly agreed. I have filled out the ambassador form as if I was Melodina speaking. The following are two questions and the answers as I believe Melodina would have answered them.

Ques: "Tell us what Coast to Coast Against Cancer means to me."

Ans: "I met several National Riders last year as my father rode with them into Sick Kids. I was in my wheelchair and my mother wheeled me over to the community event. I had to wear a mask to protect myself and I was too weak to walk.

"At the community event I met the president of Sears Canada. He asked me to ride with him this year. My plan was to be strong enough to ride in a regional ride with him and my father. Because of this the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride helped me focus my goals and helped give me courage to find my strength during the last months of my life.

"I also dedicated myself to raising funds and encouraging others to raise funds for childhood cancer research. My hope is that events like the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride will lead to a future where no children have to suffer what I suffered and what I saw others go through."

Ques: "Tell us what our message is to our riders, volunteers, sponsors and all Canadians."

Ans: "My watchwords are "strength" and "courage". We will win this battle as long as we continue to fight it together. The children need you. They are inspired and gain strength and courage from your efforts. Thank you."

Mel's sister Harmony has also become and Ambassador for the ride. She has agreed to do anything she can that's "not on a bicycle". I understand Harmony will be greeting and talking to people at a community event in Toronto on June 20th. Indira will be there as will my Uncle Bill. If you like we would like you to come to. I will give you more details (time and place) when I get them.

Our whole family is working to relieve the suffering of children with cancer. I am truly blessed to have such an incredible group of people around me.

The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride

The Sears National National Kids Cancer Ride was important to Melodina. The ride contributes all donations to children's cancer research. None of the money you donate goes to the charity's administration. The admin costs are covered by it's sponsors.

If you sponsor me, as an Ontario Regional Rider, all you money will go to the Sick Kids Foundation, an institution to which Melodina donated as much of her time an energy as her health would allow.

You can sponsor me at the following link:http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=654905&LangPref=en-CA

Thank you all for reading this blog and thank you for caring. Please pass this along to anyone who might be interested.