Maxine Tilbury’s dad moved to Australia when she was just 10 and the pair only saw each other rarely due to the long distances involved
A lotto winner who beat cancer has revealed how her new found fortune finally allowed her to reconnect with beloved dad on the other side of the world.
Maxine Tilbury’s dad moved to Australia when she was just 10 and the pair only saw each other rarely due to the long distances involved. In January, Maxine Lloyd had two bespoke hats made – each printed with ‘Dad and Daughter Road Trip, 2024’.
And it’s this playful catchphrase that sums up a three month trip to Australia she has spent a whole lifetime yearning for. Her dad, Ron, moved to Perth in Western Australia when Maxine was ten years old and it’s only been more recently that she could only afford to see her father every few years. So, when Maxine won £1 million in July 2022, the chance to spend quality time with Ron for the first time ever became a reality.
Maxine, 52, said: “I have an old black and white picture of myself and Dad, taken in a photo booth when I was 18 months old, but now, I have so many wonderful new pictures of us together to treasure.
“I flew first class which was a real treat, and I surprised Dad by arriving two days before New Year’s Eve – 10 days before his 70th birthday” Maxine spent eight weeks in Australia. She said: “We travelled north and south of Perth and it was so emotional.
“As we watched Orca whales during a boat trip in Bremer Bay, I broke down in tears of joy. We went camping in the bush, we had cups of tea on the beach and saw dolphins jumping through waves. We had no electricity, I wore no make-up and we had solar panels making our caravan self-sufficient.
“We watched sunsets together and sometimes we just sat in silence, happy in each other’s company.”
And she enjoyed it so much she will be going back out to Australia son to spend moree time with him on another trip and will be there with him for Father’s Day next month.
The trip was especially poignant because her National Lottery win came as Maxine battled cancer.
Only a few years earlier, Maxine, a NHS Occupational Therapist, fell in love and became engaged to site manager Wayne Tilbury, 59. Maxine says, “My time with dad also allowed me to properly process everything that had happened to me since my diagnosis. I finally had time to reflect and come to terms with it. Wayne said when I arrived home, the real ‘me’ had returned. I got my mojo back – and I’ve created memories with Dad to cherish forever.
“I am forever grateful and feel blessed for the opportunities the win has created for myself, Wayne and my family.”
In November 2021 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, resulting in surgery and six rounds of chemotherapy which finished in June 2022. She says: “I lost my hair, my eyelashes and my eyebrows and I felt like I’d lost my identity too.”
Maxine was preparing for a course of radiotherapy in July 2022 when she played the £30 million Mega Cash Showdown game on The National Lottery App late one night on her phone – and learned she had won the jackpot. She completed her radiotherapy before her win was announced – and says: “Ringing that bell marking the end of my treatment was so emotional. I decided to go public to raise awareness of cancer.”