Cardiff & Vale Health Charity has recently received a gift left in a will from a patient who was eternally grateful for the treatment and care he received from staff at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
Huw Robert Barnes from Abercynon, suffered with the lifelong condition of Diabetes. Huw struggled with his condition from the age of nine.
In January 2005, Huw was extremely fortunate to become the first recipient of a double transplant of both a pancreas and kidney at the same time. Thanks to the gift of a donor, he had his life back – the transplant saved his life.
Following the transplant, Huw was able to resume a near normal life, running his own company, pursuing his hobbies and travelling the world.
Unfortunately, Huw’s health declined in recent years, with frequent hospital visits to address and care for his ongoing needs and sadly, on the 8th March 2020 Huw passed away.
Cardiff & Vale Health Charity were contacted by the family to advise that Huw had left a gift in his will to the University Hospital of Wales and his brother Richard Barnes tells us of Huw’s wishes to support the departments that had cared for him.
Richard said: “Losing Huw left a big hole in my life. He’d always be the one at the centre of attention. He had a really wicked streak, he was outgoing and fun-loving.
“The grief I felt at losing my brother was overwhelming and it has helped me to come to terms with his death by making sure his final wishes were carried out. In his will, Huw specified that he wanted to leave £10,000 as a gesture of thanks to the people who saved his life.
“Huw also donated his body to medical science, so that the medical students of today could gain valuable skills and research for the future – he was such a selfless man.
“The funds will be shared between the Diabetes Unit and Cardiff Transplant Unit at the University Hospital of Wales, where Huw received much of his treatment so that his legacy can live on.”
To find out more about how you can leave a gift in your will now to make a difference in the future please visit: https://healthcharity.wales/how-you-can-help/gift-in-wills/ or call us for a chat to discuss your wishes on 02921 836040.