An Ottawa woman who was brutally attacked while on vacation in Barbados died in hospital on Wednesday.
Terry Schwarzfeld, 60, suffered massive brain injuries when a would-be robber attacked her and her daughter-in-law Luana Cotsman while they walked along a secluded beach on the tropical island.
When the pair told the robber they had nothing of value, he apparently grabbed a nearby piece of wood and attacked them.
Although both women were beaten up, Schwarzfeld took the brunt of the attack.
She was airlifted back to Ottawa two weeks ago and was receiving treatment at the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital.
Ten days ago, Schwarzfeld's husband Steve Cotsman told reporters his wife might never recover from her brain injuries.
Schwarzfeld was a prominent member of Ottawa's Jewish community and was recently elected as the national president of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, a leading Jewish women's philanthropic organization.
The organization has named a children's daycare in Israel in her honour. It is a place for Arab and Jewish children to get care.
Schwarzfeld's family plans to bury her on Friday.
In the meantime, Barbados police are continuing their investigation and have offered a $6,400 reward for the arrest of the person responsible for the attack.
Click here to make a donation to the daycare named in Terry Schwarzfeld's honour.
