Elsy Barron

A gift for the future: Elsy's story 

Late in 2025, Elsy was flown from Hervey Bay to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) for emergency surgery on a tumour in her spinal cord. It was a frightening turn, arriving only five months after she had lost her beloved husband, Colin, to colorectal, liver and lung cancer. 

Elsy spent her recovery at the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) and it was there - between appointments and long hours of rest - that she found herself reading about the work of the RBWH Foundation. 

"While I was in STARS, I was reading all about the work of the RBWH Foundation and I thought someone needs to help them," she says. "People who can afford to, and have the means to, need to help get the research done, and someone in the future will benefit from it." 

It's a simple philosophy, but one Elsy holds close. Throughout her stay, she was moved by the care and dedication of everyone around her. 

"I feel very privileged and grateful to the staff at STARS, the nurses and the doctors. They're amazing people and so dedicated to making sure people, like me, leave the hospital almost as perfect as they came in and as mobile as possible." 

Knowing her family was well provided for, Elsy made the decision to leave a Gift in Will to research — in Colin's name. It was a way to honour his memory while ensuring that the kind of care that had supported her would be there for others in the future. 

"It makes me happy to know the work and research the hospital does will still go on, because without the means of support, they can't continue." 

For Elsy, arranging the gift was far simpler than she expected — and far more meaningful than she could have imagined. 

"It didn't need to be complicated," she says. She found it easy to arrange, and it gave her real peace of mind knowing her values — and Colin's memory — would live on. 

If, like Elsy, you'd like to leave a lasting legacy through a Gift in Will, our team is here to help you every step of the way. Visit page.