A PRIDE of Jersey Award winner is to donate his prize money to charity.
Neil MacLachlan, who won Ambassador of the Year in 2021, is a retired gynaecology consultant, who worked at the General Hospital for 30 years.
Mr MacLachlan has decided to split his £1,000 prize between two different charities close to his heart, Tiny Seeds and Love Hearts Appeal Jersey.
Tiny Seeds is a local charity, set up in 2021, dedicated to supporting people with infertility and those who need the help of fertility treatments to conceive.
Mr MacLachlan said: ‘They provide information and help those in charge of health spending to understand the need for infertility treatment to be more available and equitable.’
He is donating half of his prize money to them because of their ‘outstanding work’.
Mr MacLachlan set up Jersey’s Assisted Reproduction Unit around 20 years ago. It provides assistance and support to people who are having trouble getting pregnant, suffering from recurrent miscarriages or who are in need of genetic and other advice about future conception and pregnancy.
Love Hearts Appeal Jersey was set up by Mr Mac-Lachlan’s ‘inspirational’ daughter, Catherine, following her heart transplant in 2006. This charity aims to support and help children in need of a heart transplant.
Mr MacLachlan said: ‘We are currently raising money for some exciting equipment which keeps the donated heart beating after it has been removed from the donor and until it is safely in the recipient child.
‘There is such a shortage of organs for those in desperate need that we feel this innovative research is vitally important.’
He continued: ‘These charities need the money urgently, which is why I am choosing to split the prize money and this will also mean that the Pride of Jersey awards will go towards Jersey charities helping those in need.’
Despite retiring, Mr MacLachlan still sees some patients with infertility and, along with doctor Jessica Langtree, runs the Women’s Health Clinic at Indigo Medical.
He was nominated for the Ambassador of the Year Award by Tracey Somerville, one of his former patients, for the high level of care she received from him while undergoing 19 rounds of IVF treatment.
Ms Somerville said: ‘He is so dedicated. He has fought tooth and nail for the patients and to keep the place running.’
Mr MacLachlan said: ‘Over the years I have seen so many trying for a family, but who have struggled. The anguish that this brings to those without children cannot be described so it has been a real pleasure to be able to help treat so many people.’
This year’s Pride of Jersey Awards saw a record number of nominations – 212 submissions – for the 14 main categories. The overall winners were announced at a ceremony last week.
