TRIBUTE TO GABRIELLA WEHBE

Ms JULIA FINN ( Granville ) ( 13:41  ): Last Friday our community lost an amazing young woman, Gabriella Marie Wehbe. Gabbi gave so much in her 19 short years and her funeral yesterday was the largest I have ever encountered at Our Lady of Lebanon. It was standing—outside in the rain—room only. At 16 Gabbi was diagnosed with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and given only a 20 per cent chance of survival. In 2016 she underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy throughout her Higher School Certificate year, when she was also vice-captain of Our Lady of Mercy College. During that period she also helped Chris O'Brien Lifehouse raise more than $500,000 for cancer treatment and was named the Parramatta Young Citizen of the Year. She was an incredible and dynamic young woman. Last time I saw Gabbi she was in remission and looking forward to studying physiotherapy at university. She was a really bubbly and energetic girl. It is not just her family who have been short-changed by her early passing but the entire community. She gave a lot in her short life and had so much more to give. I offer my condolences to the entire Wehbe family, especially Gabbi's parents, Jim and Loretta. May she rest in peace.