The Caribbean’s patient-advocacy pioneer, Shelley Weir, MBE, founder of the Hope Foundation, died on September 6, 2026, following a brief illness. The organization's board, members, and wider family announced her passing, honoring a leader described as the heart and driving force behind the foundation for more than three decades. Diagnosed with lupus in 1990, Weir turned her personal experience into a mission that reshaped patient advocacy in Barbados and empowered individuals with chronic illnesses across the region. She established the Hope Foundation in 1991 to educate the public and support patients, leading the organization to host the first international medical conference by a patient-led group in 1992.
- Shelley Weir, MBE, founder and President of the Hope Foundation, passed away on September 6, 2026.
- Diagnosed with lupus in 1990, Weir established the Hope Foundation in 1991 to support patients and educate the public.
- Her three-decade crusade fundamentally transformed patient advocacy in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.