Mrs Le Roy was given the award in the 2026 New Year Honours for services to public health in Guernsey, and has now received the physical medal from the Lt-Governor Lt General Sir Richard Cripwell, who granted it to her in a formal ceremony with her friends, family and fellow health professionals present.
‘It was absolutely amazing – I feel so honoured,’ said Mrs Le Roy.
‘My real reward was seeing so many people who have had cardiac arrests and lived to have an amazing quality of life after.’
Mrs Le Roy has been working in healthcare for decades and, in 1996, she began to revolutionise the cardiac healthcare scene in Guernsey by founding the Cardiac Action Group – a charity dedicated to raising awareness about and providing support for those affected by coronary heart disease.
‘There was a lot of support at the time – quite rightly – for cancer patients, but there wasn’t much to help people with coronary heart disease,’ said Mrs Le Roy.
‘I wanted to do the same for them.’
Since its founding, the Cardiac Action Group has been responsible for installing an extensive network of publicly available defibrillators across the island.
The charity now has also welcomed several hundred volunteers who have trained to maintain the defibrillators and ensure they are in suitable condition to be used.
‘Every PAD [Public Access Defibrillator] site is paid for by the community,’ she said.
‘Now the next step is to maintain all these sites and make sure they’re all ready for action, so the charity is still fundraising for that.’
Mrs Le Roy was also involved in tackling tobacco usage on the island, notably through the Stop Smoking Service Quitline, the Guernsey Adolescent Smoking Project and participating in anti-smoking policy development.
‘Mrs Le Roy’s work has transformed the healthcare landscape in Guernsey and directly saved many islanders’ lives,’ said Sir Richard.
‘She is an inspirational lady, and it gave me great pleasure to present her with the British Empire Medal on behalf of His Majesty the King.’
Mrs Le Roy’s ceremony was made doubly special by the fact that she had it held on her birthday, which she had specifically requested from a range of possible dates.
‘It was a double whammy, so it was extra special,’ she said.
‘It was just an amazing day.’
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