Leila Abdallah awarded Family Voice Mother of the Year for 2021

Leila Abdallah - whose three children were killed in February last year when hit by a car driven by a drugged-up driver - has been named as the Mother of the Year.

She lost three of her six children in a tragic crash but Leila Abdallah has been honoured for the role she calls her “greatest gift”.

Ms Abdallah was presented with a plaque naming her National Mother of the Year 2021 by Christian organisation Family Voice Australia at a ceremony on Wednesday.

She and her husband Danny lost son Antony, 13, and daughters Angelina, 12, and Sienna, 8, who died alongside their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, in February 2020 when they were struck by a drunk and drugged driver while riding their bikes in Sydney.

Leila Abdallah, who has won the mother of the year award with her husband Danny, and kids Alex, Michael and Liana. Picture: Ross Schultz

Leila at the scene after the accident. Picture: AAP Image

Speaking at the ceremony at Woolwich, Ms Abdallah said: “I want to dedicate this award to all mothers going through suffering in their lives, especially my mother.

“(We) are resilient, no matter how much hardship we experience in life.

“We are all a leader in our families, we are all powerful and influential … to be a mother is the greatest gift in the world.”

Family Voice Australia took over the Mother of the Year awards this year after Barnardos Australia scrapped their awards in February.

Awards selection committee chairman Greg Pondar said: “We chose Leila after her unprecedented suffering through the loss of her children and her strength ... afterwards.”

Originally published as Leila Abdallah awarded Family Voice Mother of the Year for 2021