Our Story

On the afternoon of 1^st February 2020, seven children went out together to celebrate their cousin’s birthday with ice cream. It was a simple, joyful afternoon, the kind made of small moments that family’s treasure.

As the children were walking along a quiet residential street in Oatlands, a drunk and drug-affected driver lost control of his vehicle and struck them. In an instant, lives were changed forever.

Four children were killed at the scene. Three of them were the children of Danny and Leila Abdallah, Antony, Angelina, and Sienna. Their cousin, Veronique Sakr, was also killed. One of their daughters survived the impact and was rushed to hospital. 

In the chaos that followed, one of the surviving girls called Leila’s sister. She then went to get Danny and Leila to tell them there had been an accident.

Danny and Leila arrived at the scene filled with fear, hope and disbelief. There, they witnessed the devastation of what had occurred, as their surviving daughter was rushed to hospital and the full weight of the tragedy began to unfold.

What followed were moments of unbearable shock, grief, and heartbreak. Crowds gathered at the hospital as news spread. People from across the city came to stand with them, to cry with them, and to hold space for a pain that words could not touch. Danny and Leila were surrounded by love and support before they had even fully grasped the reality that their children were gone.

The next day, as media gathered to hear from the grieving parents, Danny and Leila made a decision that would impact the nation.

They chose to forgive the driver.

They spoke openly about their faith, declaring that their children were with Jesus in heaven. They shared that forgiveness was possible because they themselves had been forgiven first. Through that forgiveness, they believed they could move forward without hatred, bitterness, or vengeance ruling their lives.

Their words travelled far beyond the interview. The message of forgiveness, faith, and hope spread rapidly across Australia and around the world. What began as an act of obedience and trust in God became a national conversation.

From that moment, i4Give Day was born. It became a National Day of Forgiveness in Australia, created to honour the lives of Antony, Angelina, Sienna, and Veronique, to bring glory to God, and to invite others to reflect on the power of forgiveness in their own lives.

Out of unimaginable loss, purpose was found. And through forgiveness, a movement began.