‘Susi’s’ legacy lives on with memorial tree and plaque at St Bernard’s

A memorial tree has been planted in the garden of St Bernard’s Hospital alongside a plaque in tribute to Juan Jesus Vecino, known to many as ‘Susi’, who made history in January this year when his organs were donated in the first procedure of its kind on the Rock.

Mr Vecino, 48, donated all his organs, with his sister Maria Vecino Ramos telling the Chronicle he gave others “the gift of life”.

Mr Vecino died unexpectedly in January 2026 following a fatal cardiac arrest. Following discussions with GHA critical care staff, his family made the decision to donate his vital organs to patients in the UK awaiting transplants on the NHS transplant list.

During his lifetime, Susi had expressed his support for organ donation in conversations with family and friends.

Following the family’s decision, the NHS Organ and Transplant team travelled to Gibraltar to undertake the necessary medical and administrative assessments ahead of the organ retrieval.
The donated organs were subsequently transported under blue-light conditions to Gibraltar International Airport before being flown to the UK and taken directly to hospitals where recipients were awaiting transplants.

At the plaque unveiling the Minister for Health, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, thanked the family and staff for coming together in what she described as an “extraordinary” effort to ensure the family’s wishes were fulfilled, and the donation could go ahead.

“It's a sad occasion, but it's also a very, very happy occasion because in a hugely generous gesture, we've managed to bring the GHA together in a way that Susi's memory will continue,” she said.

She took a moment to thank the GHA “because they came together in a way that was quite extraordinary to make sure that the family's wishes were carried out and that the organ donation occurred”.

“So, Mark [Dr Garcia], our Medical Director, I'd like to say thank you very much for organising that, and of course I'd like to say thank you very, very much to the family for the generosity of their action, and for the fact that Susi's memory can live on.”

The planted tree, she added, is intended as a quiet place for reflection and as a lasting reminder of how one life can continue to help others.

Mrs Arias-Vasquez said the GHA hoped the gesture would also encourage more people to sign up as organ donors and to consider having conversations about donation with their loved ones.

“We are very hopeful that this will encourage other people to sign up… This is the first time that it’s been done in the GHA, and we hope it will not be the last,” she said.

After the unveiling of the plaque Duane Santos, a representative from Mr Vecino’s group of friends known as ‘La Vasca del Toldo’, gave an emotional speech about their friend.

“Today we remember our friend Susi who left us far too young,” Mr Santos said.

“At an incredibly difficult time, his family made the generous decision to donate his organs, giving others hope and, in some cases, the gift of life.”

“There can be fewer greater legacies than knowing that, even after his passing, he was able to help others.”

“This plaque will ensure that his generosity and the courage of his family will always be remembered.”

“He will be greatly missed, never forgotten, and remembered today with enormous pride.”

Among those at the unveiling was Mr Vecino’s young son Noah, who was only 11 when his father donated his organs.

He told the Chronicle that he felt both “proud” and “sad” but added he was glad that his father was the first person in Gibraltar to donate and to be honoured in this way.

To show young Noah that he has several people watching over him, the men of ‘La Vasca del Toldo’ presented him with a gold chain and pendant with an etching of his father on it.

In a clearly emotional moment for all, the chain was placed around his neck, before they posed for a photo with the tree and plaque.

Mr Vecino’s sister, Mrs Vecino Ramos, told the Chronicle that the day was a “very proud” one for the family, not only because her brother’s memory was being honoured, but also because the tribute could help raise awareness about organ donation.

She underlined the importance of speaking openly about wishes in case of sudden tragedy.

She said families should discuss organ donation so that “in the event of any accident or unexpected death of a loved one, that conversation is being had, and it makes it a lot easier for families to make the decision to donate organs”.

Despite the pain of losing a younger brother, she said the family had found some comfort in knowing that Mr Vecino’s organs helped transform the lives of others.

“It’s not closure, but some sense of comfort in knowing that something good has come out of something so tragic,” she said.

The family has heard directly from some of the recipients and their relatives, describing the experience as “mind blowing”.

One mother wrote to thank them for helping her son, underlining the wider impact of donation on whole families, not just the individuals receiving the organs.

She said that hearing how her brother’s donation had improved the quality of life of those recipients had reinforced the family’s belief in the importance of organ donation and the difference it can make to people waiting on transplant lists.

GHA Director General Dr Paul Bosio said: “The untimely death of Juan Jesus Vecino who at 48 was still a relatively young man, was a very tough and sad time for Maria and the rest of her family, but the generous act of donating his organs means that someone else can keep on living, and that is an extraordinary outcome.”