Grace’s mother fighting cancer
Family of slain tourist facing extra heartache
As Grace Millane made her final trip home, it was revealed her mother could not come to New Zealand because she has cancer.
The slain British backpacker’s father, David Millane, left New Zealand at the weekend to take her body home.
At the same time it emerged Grace’s mother, Gillian, 57, had been having treatment for breast cancer which was why she was not able to join the NZ search for her daughter.
Millane’s family spoke to the Sunday Times of their “beautiful daughter and sister”, saying she was so passionate to see the world she had already planned a second OE.
Millane, a graduate in marketing and advertising, was last seen alive in central Auckland on December 1, the day before she would have turned 22. Her body was found eight days later in West Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder.
One of Millane’s brothers, Michael, 29, said it had been her plan to organise a trip to Asia once she had completed the journey that included NZ.
“She had a passion to see the world before she settled into a job. Her mind was set that she wanted to do this thing.”
Before arriving in NZ last month, Millane had kicked off her backpacking trip by spending five weeks in Peru.
Her family said a highlight for her was the trek to the 15th century Inca citadel Machu Picchu, and the local chocolate factories were a must.
She had intended to go to Fiji after NZ, then to Australia and was due to fly home from Sydney next June 26.
Weeks before she set out Millane gave some of her hair to a charity that makes wigs for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer treatment, Michael said.
“She had really long hair before she left. But she cut it all off and donated it to the Little Princess Trust.”
The family said travellers should not be put off by Millane’s death.
“We all fly the nest,” said Michael. Her death “should not deter any man or woman” from following their dreams.
Last week Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern choked up as she delivered a heartfelt apology to Millane’s family.
“On behalf of New Zealand, I want to apologise to Grace’s family,” she said.
Her voice cracking, Ardern said: “Your daughter should have been safe here, and she wasn’t, and I’m sorry for that.”