Sienna, Antony, Angelina, and Veronique are the names of the 4 young children who were killed by a drunk and drugged driver while walking with three others to buy ice cream on February 1, 2020.
Only two days after losing three of her six children, Leila Abdallah publicly forgave the man who drove under the influence and killed them.
LEILA ABDALLAH
So we were thinking: how can we keep the memory of the kids alive? We created I4Give in honor of the kids and to keep the message of forgiveness alive.
Leila and her husband, Daniel, created I4Give Day and the I4GiveFoundation and each year on the anniversary of the tradegy, Masses and services are held to commemorate the children's memory.
The day is dedicated to encouraging people in taking the initiative to forgive others.
DANIEL ABDALLAH
And what it involves is a conversation on forgiveness within families, communities, extended communities, religious backgrounds, and all walks of life.
The family is focused on spreading the importance of forgiveness, not only for the person who did wrong but also for each person involved to move forward.
DANIEL ABDALLAH
Showing the nation that forgiveness is for the forgiver just as much as the forgiven and that when you forgive, you actually set yourself free.
But forgiveness is the first step to holiness. We went through the worst possible tragedy that any parent could ever face, but we never let go of God. I had people come to me and say, “How could you love a God so much?” I said to them, “Where else can I go? Who else could I wanna be with?”
Faith for the Abdallahs was what helped them through the loss of their children. They believe that without a forgiving heart, people can never reach greatness.
I'm so happy mum and dad forgave the driver.
KG
