Pride of Jersey winner gives her prize money to charity

Elena Faiz, who won the Grandparent of the Year category at the JEP’s annual celebration of community heroes, has given her winnings to the mental-health charity Mind Jersey.

She said that her husband, Farouq, had ‘dedicated his life to the mental health of others’.

‘I chose Mind Jersey as my late husband was a consultant psychiatrist in the Island. We had met in a London hospital in 1964 and were married for 53 years.

‘The receipt of the award was associated with his passing last year due to coronavirus and so I wanted to offer the prize money to a cause that he had dedicated his life to – the mental health of others,’ she said.

Elena and her husband were both struck down by Covid-19 at the same time last year.

Their granddaughter, Zara Faiz, who nominated them, explained that Elena eventually recovered, but she was left devastated when Farouq died on 15 August last year.

Zara said that, while he was in a nursing home, Elena would call him every day and go to see him at least twice a day to make sure he was not lonely.

Elena, who has three children and six grandchildren, ‘insists on taking care of her family even though she is still getting better herself’, said Zara when she made the nomination.

Dr Patricia Tumelty, executive director of Mind Jersey, said: ‘We are delighted and humbled to be a recipient of Elena’s kindness and generosity and the donation will go towards our mental-health peer support service for our over-65-years age group.’