Gabrielle Lee is a new donor who received a request for support from Burnet in April 2024, asking her to donate to help mothers and newborn babies in Papua New Guinea.
At the age of 11, Australian-born Gabrielle Lee was living in Papua New Guinea with her family, attending school in Port Moresby and venturing up into the Highlands for holidays.
She loved the sights and sounds of the country: the vibrant clothes, the ladies selling sapota juice door-to-door, the sounds of the kerosene drums. But she also remembers the backdrop of colonialism, the segregation of the schools, and the disapproval her mother faced whenever she stepped in to support local people.
Once, on a lunchtime walk with school friends, Gabrielle noticed a woman wearing a dress that looked like one of her own. Later, her mother confirmed she’d given the dress away, adding “Her need is much greater than yours”. It was a turning point for the young Gabrielle.
“I could see my Mum’s attitude was right, and that she was doing the right thing,” says Gabrielle, now in her 80s. “It was a moment that stayed with me my whole life.”
Gabrielle returned from Papua New Guinea four years later, finishing off her education at a boarding school in Queensland, and setting up a good life for herself at home in Australia. But she never forgot how much she loved everything that was “exciting and different” about Port Moresby, or the importance of helping people in need.
In April this year, when she first learned about Burnet’s work, her very first instinct was to pick up the phone.
“I called in to ask how I could best help the people of Papua New Guinea,” she says.
Now, Gabrielle is a passionate supporter of the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies program, and we’re so thrilled to have her on board. Thanks Gabrielle!
Tell us your story!
We really enjoy hearing from our supporters – the stories of how you first came to support us and why are so varied and so interesting. If you donate to Burnet and would like to be featured in an upcoming edition of 'Thanks to you', we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch via giving@burnet.edu.au.
