On Thursday, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock, 75, opened up to members of the national Parliament about his unexpected recent absence overseas, explaining that a sudden decline in his long-managed eye condition forced him to pause all official responsibilities to pursue urgent medical care abroad. The veteran lawmaker, who has served in national legislative bodies for 25 years and held the Central Kingstown parliamentary seat since 2010, said he chose to address the House directly to clear up any uncertainty among his constituents and the general public about his whereabouts and well-being.
Leacock first revealed that his battle with serious eye issues dates back 13 years, when he developed retinal tears in both eyes that required emergency surgery and left him completely without vision for more than a week. Calling that period an extraordinarily unpleasant experience, he noted that the condition has required ongoing monitoring ever since. The latest health scare emerged on the very morning he was set to travel to Barbados to stand in for Prime Minister Godwin Friday at the funeral of iconic West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers, when he detected a sudden, worrying deterioration in his right eye’s vision.
Recognizing the severity of the change, Leacock made the call to reschedule his official funeral duties and prioritize his health. Medical evaluations confirmed that immediate corrective intervention was necessary, and following his children’s recommendation, he opted to seek treatment in the United States rather than returning to Barbados, where his original surgery took place decades prior.
Emphasizing that unplanned absences from parliamentary sessions are extremely out of character for him, Leacock told the chamber that in his quarter-century of service as both a senator and elected member of Parliament, he cannot recall ever missing a scheduled sitting. He confirmed he has now returned to his duties and is in overall good health, and shared his renewed commitment to proactive management of his eye health going forward. As part of that plan, he will undergo regular follow-up examinations over the next 12 months, which will require additional short trips overseas.
Even during his medical trip, Leacock noted that he did not step away entirely from his ministerial responsibilities. He met with representatives of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consulate in New York to work through ongoing matters tied to his portfolio, and indicated that he may share more details about that work when responding to an upcoming important parliamentary question. Parliamentary proceedings resumed as scheduled following his address.