'Forgiveness set me free' – Leila Abdallah

Following the horror crash that took three of her children, Leila did something totally unexpected

- By Courtney Greatrex

Each day when Leila Abdallah wakes up, she feels grateful for her children, husband and family.

But her grief never goes away.

On February 1, 2020, seven children were walking and riding their bikes on the footpath to buy ice-cream in Oatlands, Sydney, when a reckless driver under the influence of drugs and alcohol crashed into them.

Despite the tragic loss of her three beautiful children, Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna, eight, as well as her niece Veronique Sakr, 11, Leila was able to forgive the driver.

She says it was her Christian upbringing that taught her the importance of forgiving in times of despair and allowed her to forgive Samuel Davidson, who was travelling at 133 km/h in a 50km/h zone before the accident occurred.

In the moment, it came to Leila instinctively, and it's an act she says has given her a sense of freedom.

"Sometimes things happen to remind you how precious life is and how easily it can be taken," she tells Woman's Day from her home. "Let's live our days with peace and love and with forgiveness." Leila, 38, a mother and housewife, wants to spread this powerful message across the world.

"Forgiveness has allowed me to focus not only on my own pain but also on others who are grieving," she says.

HELPING MY KIDS HEAL

Leila reveals that it is through this act that all three families involved in the tragedy were able to stick together despite their grief and pain.