A surgeon from Oswaldtwistle who performed the first successful heart, lung and liver transplant in Europe has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.
Former Accrington Grammar School pupil Professor John Wallwork was awarded a CBE for services to health.
The married father-of-three retired from Papworth Hospital in Cambridge in July after 30 years at the top of his field.
The hospital was also in the news over the festive period when Prince Philip was treated there for a heart condition.
Prof Wallwork described the award as a "great surprise and honour".
He said: "It is recognition, not just of my contribution to heart and lung transplantation as an important area of medicine, but also of the contribution made by my two families: my professional family at Papworth Hospital and my family at home."
Prof Wallwork assisted Prof Shumway in the world’s first successful heart and lung transplantation in 1981 and in 1986 carried out the world’s first heart, lung and liver transplant.
During his career Prof Wallwork performed over 3,000 surgeries and at one time performed more than a quarter of the world’s heart-lung transplants.
Prof Wallwork, who is married to Lizzie, has children, Nicolas, Daisy and Sarah. Since his retirement he has returned to Accrington around once a month to visit family and see how the area has changed.
A headteacher who has taught generations of Hyndburn students has also been honoured in the New Year Honours list.
Eve Challinger has been given an OBE in recognition of 38 years of service to Haslingden High School.
She is married to David, has a son Chris and had been in charge of the school since 2004 prior to stepping down last August.
Also celebrating is Stewart Taylor, 64, formerly of Church, who was awarded an MBE for his conservation work in Scotland.
The grandfather-of-two is a former design draughtsman for Prestige who left his job in 1972 and began voluntary work with the RSPB in the Lake District and then in Scotland.
In 1976 he began working at the nature reserve at Lock Garten which is now the Abernethy Forest National Nature Reserve. During his 34-year career he watched it grow from 600 to 13,000 hectares and was part of the successful preservation and reintroduction of Ospreys to the area.
He said: "My late mum was always saying I should be recognised for the work I’ve done and I think one of my colleagues set the ball rolling, I’m delighted."
