As Rihanna heads home to Barbados for Christmas it has been revealed that she has donated $1.75 million to a local cancer hospital.

The donation was made in memory of her late grandmother Clara Braithwaite, who died of cancer in June.

Rihanna’s generous donation led to the radiotherapy department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, being renamed the Clara Braithwaite Centre for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, in memory of her “Gran Gran Dolly”.

The money paid for three vital pieces of equipment worth more than $3.5 million Barbados dollars.

Rihanna, 24, said: “This was my way of giving back to Barbados, in a form of philanthropy, by assisting the QEH in its continued modernization 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 was accompanied by grandmother Dolly’s husband, Lionel, and her mother, Monica Fenty as she has donated $1.75 million to a Barbados cancer hospital

Rihanna was accompanied by Dolly’s husband, Lionel, and her mother, Monica Fenty as she visited the department this weekend.

The singer’s love of her grandmother was well known to fans, with the star often speaking of her on Twitter.

When she took a turn for the worse earlier this year Rihanna jetted to New York to be at her bedside.

And following her death Rihanna posted a series of family photos in a tribute to Clara Braithwaite.