Joy as stranded Burnley girl lands back home from Fiji

As reported in the Burnley Express, 22-year-old Maddison Stevenson from Brierfield found herself alone and with nowhere to go while she was on the final leg of a dream backpacking holiday in the Far East.

The former Blessed Trinity student, who was taking a year out travelling after university, had to go into quarantine in Fiji after arriving at the island on a flight from New Zealand, which authorities discovered included an infected crew member.

After several days of worry for her anxious parents Craig and Gail Simpson, Maddison finally managed to secure a flight home to the UK, which landed at Heathrow Airport this morning.

Delighted mum Gail, a hairdresser in Rosegrove, said: "We are so happy she’s coming home. The Backpacker insurance she had have been first class and helped us so much.

"The flight would have cost us around £4,000 but they have stepped in and paid and even arranged a driver to bring her all the way home from Heathrow when she landed this morning. It’s my birthday so what an amazing birthday present I’ll get."

Maddison had been keeping touch with her family over the phone and on Facetime but was having "up and down" days according to Craig who said they were sending her money when they could.

Maddison, who had studied dance at Leeds Beckett University, was staying in an apartment with a British couple who live in New Zealand but were similarly stranded in Fiji.

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