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On Thursday the country’s first lady – who is a patron of the Deb Bailey Foundation – welcomed 115 guests into the Prime Ministerial home for a morning tea to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease and the funding to find a cure.
Mrs Abbott who describes Deb Bailey as strong and forthright woman said the “debilitating and insidious disease” took her friend in six months, at the age of 48.
“I met Deb on the very first night Tony and I went out, and Deb and David [Armstrong] came to our wedding,” Mrs Abbott told The Weekly online.
The Prime Minister worked with Deb Bailey and for her husband, David Armstrong, in his days as a journalist at The Australian.
“Dinner parties at Deb and David’s were always colourful events because there were always lots of ideas and Deb, not surprisingly, had her own views and was not afraid to put them forward so I love that about Deb,” said Mrs Abbott, who supports eight charities, while also working and studying.
The Deb Bailey Foundation was founded fourteen years ago today by the charity’s president, Robyn Paine, who vowed to fulfil Deb’s dying wish of raising money to fight the disease which kills approximately 600 Australians a year.
The Deb Bailey Foundation MND Research Centre at Macquarie University has since been established, with leading scientists and their teams working together to find the cause and the cure.
Women gather at Kirribilli House to raise awareness for Motor Neurone Disease and funds to find a cure
Bower Haus jeweller, Betty Lee launched the brand’s latest necklace range at the Kirribilli House morning tea, with all purchases – averaging at $220 a piece – going to the research centre.
Over $8000 was raised for research funds on door entry alone.
“I’ve been looking for some way to bring Deb and ‘girls’ into this,” said Paine, as women chatted throughout Kirribilli House with champagne glasses in hand eyeing off the necklaces.
One necklace, named ‘Autumn’ represents Deb Bailey; the much-loved woman and the foundation were both born in this season.
“Today has brought in a feminine side [to the charity] which is nice,” said Paine.
“[Deb] would have really loved this.”
