Edith Dawson bequeaths £343,623 to GHA

A charitable donation of £343,623.05 from the late Edith Dawson’s will was presented to the Gibraltar Health Authority on Tuesday.

The donation will be used to support cancer and oncology care within the GHA, with Ms Dawson being a supporter of the GHA and St Bernard’s Hospital throughout her life.

In attendance were the GHA Director General Kevin McGee, the Minister for Health Gemma-Arias Vasquez, the will’s executors Charles Gomez and Douglas Vickers, and Ms Dawson’s lawyer Daniel Benyunes.

Ms Dawson also recently bequeathed nearly £70,000 to Cancer Relief Gibraltar and Little Smiles respectively.

The GHA’s Director General Kevin McGee said the donation marked an important day for the GHA.

“This is a really important day for the GHA. We've been very beneficial in having a bequeath to us from the late Edith Dawson,” Mr McGee said.

“She was a lady who was a great benefactor and a great supporter of the GHA, and she had a number of treatments in this organization and in this hospital in particular.”

“She was a particular supporter of oncology and cancer care, and we're absolutely delighted that she's left us a significant bequeath, circa £350,000 , to support ongoing cancer and oncology care in the GHA.”

Mr McGee said that some of the funds will be used in the immediacy to buy equipment such as digital pathology equipment.

He added that some of the money will be used in the long-term for training and to develop oncology and cancer care with the latest technology.

“We've made sure that every pound will be spent appropriately, will be spent on the communities in Gibraltar, and will be used to improve oncology and cancer care.”

Charles Gomez, a co-executor of Ms Dawson’s will, said that the donation will be impactful towards the GHA’s service users.

“I feel very humbled, and I think it's incredible that we are here today with something which is going to make a real difference to people's lives at their worst possible time,” he said.

“Edith Dawson was all heart. She was a person who worked on the realm and the level of love. And this is her farewell gift to St Bernard's Hospital, which she held in the highest esteem.”

“Typical of her nature, she thought, well, I'm not leaving without leaving something to St Bernard's Hospital, to the people who work here, to the people who use the services, for the people who will use the services.”

The Minister for Health, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, thanked Ms Dawson and said that every pound will go towards oncology care in Gibraltar.

“I want to say thank you very much to the benefactor, to Edith Dawson, and I want to say thank you very much to the trustees and the efforts that have gone into the trustees negotiating with the GHA to determine exactly when that money will be spent,” Ms Arias-Vasquez said.