Wellington cancer teen Jemima Gazley remembered on the Italian Alps

Ashes of the courageous Wellington teenager Jemima Gazley had been scattered on the slopes of the Italian Alps earlier this month, a spot the eager younger skiier had dreamed to go to.

Fifteen-year-old Jemima Gazley died of an inoperable mind most cancers final October, after capturing the hearts of New Zealand – spending her ultimate weeks elevating cash for a treatment she wouldn’t stay to see.

Practically $700k was ultimately donated to Australian mind scientist Matt Dun, and Jemima was posthumously bestowed the New Zealand Herald’s 2021 Our Heroes award for her selfless marketing campaign.

Following “the worst 12 months of their lives”, Jemima’s dad and mom Ray and Oliver and their two sons departed for Europe shortly earlier than Christmas, deciding they may not stay with regrets.

“Jem was an actual eager skiier so we went snowboarding in Italy, which might have been her dream,” her dad Oliver Gazley mentioned.

“We’ve been dropping padlocks and coordinates – we did it within the Dolomites within the Italian Alps, and in Venice.

“We’re simply considering of locations that we all the time talked about together with her. I scattered some ashes whereas I used to be snowboarding within the Italian Alps on a contemporary powder day, which was pretty.”

An aspiring baker, Jemima had dreamed of consuming pastries in Paris, the place the household additionally deliberate to go to within the coming months.

“Simply all of the locations we all the time talked about as a household, and the issues we thought we might do as a household,” Oliver mentioned.

“I suppose you may’t stay with the regrets anymore, it doesn’t matter what it’s – we’re doing it.”

As Jemima had all the time dreamed of travelling Europe, Oliver mentioned that they had hoped to take their once-in-a-lifetime journey after she was first recognized final February, however quickly realised this might not be potential together with her situation.

Going through the Christmas interval of their Wellington residence, the Gazleys had determined to take the journey that they had wished to do with Jem.

Coming from New Zealand to Europe firstly of the Omicron outbreak had been an enchanting comparability, Oliver mentioned.

“It’s sort of fascinating seeing it from this facet of the world as a result of all the things is regular right here,” he mentioned.

“All of us put on masks and we’ve got to indicate our vaccination certificates to go to eating places. However all the things else is simply regular.”

The household had travelled by means of Italy and Portugal and mentioned each international locations had been utterly open for the totally vaccinated, with speedy antigen checks extensively out there.

“The factor that threw me probably the most was once we left New Zealand and landed in Italy, in Venice, we simply walked straight by means of the airport – picked up our baggage and walked out the opposite facet.

“There was no temperature verify … it was simply straight into the nation.”

A rustic of round 10 million and an analogous measurement to New Zealand, Portugal was seeing 30,000 to 50,000 circumstances a day, he mentioned.

“We’ve simply moved to Portugal and Portugal is much more relaxed – there’s nonetheless 30,000 circumstances right here a day, however life is simply regular.”

“I don’t know if that’s the fitting factor to do however it simply appears proper. Everybody’s getting on with it – it’s not ever going to go away, so we have to be taught to stay with it.”

With New Zealand’s borders nonetheless shut and no finish in sight for MIQ, the Gazleys deliberate to proceed travelling the place the world is open.