Melodina Herman passed away yesterday, Saturday January 10th at 10:00pm three years to the day after she was first admitted to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She had a three year fight with cancer and a compromised immune system. Melodina is an inspiration and a hero to people all over the world. Her struggle is truly epic. She taught all of us so much in so many ways. Her mother and I, her sisters and her niece, nephew and brother in law, her aunts and uncles and all who knew her and gathered their own strength through her great dynamic personality will miss her dearly.
Melodina is pain free now. While she was alive Melodina did everything she could for the Sick Kids Foundation. The Sick Kids Foundation is the largest provider of funds for research into childhood diseases in Canada. This institution was near and dear to Melodina's heart. If anyone feels moved to give or donate I know Melodina would want you to support the Foundation http://www.sickkidsfoundation.com/. Please feel free to to donate in Melodina's name.
I would like to thank everyone for the extraordinary amount of support Melodina has received from people of varying backgrounds, cultures and religions all over the world. Your prayers, wishes, and other efforts have been a great source of strength and encouragement to Melodina and her family. You will never be forgotten. You are the reason I believe that we can, with God's help, build a better world of Peace and Love and Unity. Thank you for your inspiration.
I will try to keep updating my blog with Melodina's story in the hope and faith that she can continue to inspire.
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Inspiration
I think I have mentioned in this blog that one thing that keeps me going is that I know there are others in this life going through things that I can't even imagine. There are inspiring people everywhere. The link below is to a video that I found inspirational and I wanted to share it.
http://www.wimp.com/trueheart/
http://www.wimp.com/trueheart/
Monday, November 10, 2008
Nothing But Good News
This weekend we went to Harmony's new house on Saturday and came back to Toronto Sunday Evening. Harmony and Mike have bought a new home but not moved in yet. The ducts have been cleaned, the walls and ceilings washed, the floors cleaned and the carpets steamed. It was probably as clean or cleaner than the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at the hospital.
We took Melodina's IV stand and tubing etc. with us so we could hook her up and hydrate her over night. To keep a wonderful story short. Melodina laughed with her sister and niece and nephew. She climbed up and down stairs for the first time since June. She walked around. She ate better than she has since the middle of January. It was a great step forward. She slept all the way back to Toronto.
This morning after unhooking her IV we went to the hospital. We attend clinic three times a week. The first great news is that for the first time since she started Chemo Therapy in October, 2007 Melodina is producing her own platelets. She did not need an expected transfusion. She now has a normal white blood cell count and acceptable haemoglobin and platelet counts. The next good news was that her blood was re tested and all her cells are donor cells meaning that not only does she not have cancer but she cannot produce cancer cells. This is the second time this test has come back 100 per cent!!!
While it will take a year or two to built her body back to where it was, Melodina is planning to coach children ski racing this winter. We ran into another Bone Marrow Transplant patient at the hospital. Anthony's story helps me believe that Melodina will coach this winter. Anthony left the hospital and returned to school this September. At first he found it difficult to climb the school stairs. One month later Antony's school held a cancer fundraiser in the name of another student. Anthony walked a full two and a half kilometers in the fundraiser! He had his teachers in tears with joy at seeing his success. I was in tears today hearing his story. Anthony, like so many cancer kids is inspiring many with his struggle and his successes. He looks healthy, he has gained weight and he is doing well in school. Way to go Anthony!!!
We took Melodina's IV stand and tubing etc. with us so we could hook her up and hydrate her over night. To keep a wonderful story short. Melodina laughed with her sister and niece and nephew. She climbed up and down stairs for the first time since June. She walked around. She ate better than she has since the middle of January. It was a great step forward. She slept all the way back to Toronto.
This morning after unhooking her IV we went to the hospital. We attend clinic three times a week. The first great news is that for the first time since she started Chemo Therapy in October, 2007 Melodina is producing her own platelets. She did not need an expected transfusion. She now has a normal white blood cell count and acceptable haemoglobin and platelet counts. The next good news was that her blood was re tested and all her cells are donor cells meaning that not only does she not have cancer but she cannot produce cancer cells. This is the second time this test has come back 100 per cent!!!
While it will take a year or two to built her body back to where it was, Melodina is planning to coach children ski racing this winter. We ran into another Bone Marrow Transplant patient at the hospital. Anthony's story helps me believe that Melodina will coach this winter. Anthony left the hospital and returned to school this September. At first he found it difficult to climb the school stairs. One month later Antony's school held a cancer fundraiser in the name of another student. Anthony walked a full two and a half kilometers in the fundraiser! He had his teachers in tears with joy at seeing his success. I was in tears today hearing his story. Anthony, like so many cancer kids is inspiring many with his struggle and his successes. He looks healthy, he has gained weight and he is doing well in school. Way to go Anthony!!!
Friday, September 26, 2008
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.
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.
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