People News

Rihanna donates 1.75m to hospital

Dec 23, 2012, 18:09 GMT

Rihanna

Rihanna has donated $1.75 million to a Barbados hospital in memory of her late grandmother Dolly.

The 'Diamond' singer was devastated when her beloved granny Clara 'Dolly' Braithwaite lost her cancer battle in June 2012 and visited the radiotherapy department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, which is to be renamed the Clara Braithwaite Centre for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, on Saturday (22.12.12) with her mother Monica Fenty and Dolly's husband Lionel to make the generous donation.

She told E! News: 'This was my way of giving back to Barbados, in a form of philanthropy, by assisting the QEH in its continued modernisation programme...I believe that this will have a huge impact on the people of Barbados. This was all done to save lives or at least extend them.'

Rihanna is spending Christmas in her native Barbados with her family and was recently spotted supporting local businesses by picking up trinkets in a number of small shops on the Caribbean island.

The 'Diamonds' singer was mobbed by locals as she browsed boutiques in Bridgetown.

Her shopping spree comes just days after she admitted she was feeling the pressure to pick up gifts for her family.

She said: 'I've not started, not a single thing yet. I'm so drenched in work for my new album 'Unapologetic' ... The most difficult is my little brother because he's getting to an age where toys aren't fun anymore. What shall I get my bro? Any 16 year olds, tweet me.'