'Our beautiful daughter was killed before she could achieve her dreams - but she won't be forgotten'

Grace O'Malley-Kumar would have turned 21 on October 17 - but her life was cruelly taken away by Valdo Calocane during the Nottingham attacks of last year

The parents of a 'beautiful' Nottingham student who was killed during one of the city's darkest days have spoken of their heartbreak on what would have been her 21st birthday. Grace O'Malley-Kumar would have been 21 years old on October 17, 2024, with just two years remaining on her medical studies at the University of Nottingham.

But the talented sportswoman will never get to reach these important milestones, as her life was one of three cruelly cut short by spree-killer Valdo Calocane on June 13, 2023. The loss has left a "gaping hole" in her family's North London home, which has only been heightened by the knowledge that the family would today be celebrating her important 21st birthday - if not for the shocking violence of Calocane.

"For us, we are a small and very close-knit family, her loss has left a gaping hole that means we can't help but miss the beautiful experiences Grace would have brought to us," her father Dr Sanjoy said of the hockey player and aspiring army medic. "Her graduation as a doctor in Nottingham, serving the people of the city, perhaps having a family - all those things you look forward to seeing as a parent.

Get the latest news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp

"Unfortunately we have been deprived of that future, and it's tough because we are starting to see the loss not just of the present but also of her future. Her friends are turning 21, and while obviously that is a very joyous thing for them, it's a very sad thing for us and we can't help but think Grace will never have that."

Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Doctor Sinead O’Malley said her younger brother James "missed her tremendously" and "never wanted to be an only child". Grace's mum added: "You can't help but think, with all of her friends having these big occasions like turning 21 and having parties, about how we would have come together as a family to do the same. But sadly it just makes us reflect more on our loss and there will be days, like October 17, where we feel that more acutely."

The parents said the Grace O'Malley-Kumar Foundation, paired with the outcomes of the inquiry into the Nottingham attacks, would be the way to continue their daughter's legacy. The foundation will look to foster friendships between young people, encourage marginalised groups to take part in sports, and discourage knife crime.

The O'Malley-Kumars want schools to start 'Grace Groups' of four or five children who will be asked to support each other all the way through junior and senior school. These would change every term, so that friends can look out for each other in a way that doesn't encourage cliques.

Dr Kumar said: "Grace had actually thought of this, because as a child she had always fought to include people and help others. This is something that would not cost anything, but could be brought in across schools in England."

The family are hoping to meet with new Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson soon to lobby for the change. Another thing the foundation wants to do is support people to get involved with sport - particularly those who do not typically participate.

The O'Malley-Kumars said an example of the charities the foundation hopes to help is Raising Her Game, which was founded by Grace's friend, GB hockey player Darcy Bourne, and aims to increase diversity and representation in sport. Grace's younger brother James, who was just 16 years old when she died attempting to fight off knifeman Calocane, was also keen to warn young people about knife crime, his parents explained.

Dr Kumar added: "He would really like to champion the cause against carrying knives, why should anyone carry a knife? James quite often questions why the message has not got through to young men, because it seems like that important message from the Government has not yet got through to the people that need to hear it."

Grace's parents thought the killings last year could have been avoided if those working in the city's institutions were as empathic and public-spirited as their daughter, who had braved the Covid pandemic to vaccinate thousands as one of the country's youngest vaccinators before starting university. "She gave and gave in her short time," Dr Sinead O'Malley added.

"It's very hard, she would have been half way through her studies now and for as long as we can remember she wanted to be a doctor - and it wasn't just because we're doctors. She'd always had that vocation and to think she would be making plans for the future and deciding exactly what she wanted to do makes it very difficult for us."