My children were both delivered at the Botanic Hospital by Dr. Cecil Cyrus, a hard-working man who took his profession seriously. Born in Layou, he was the first Vincentian trained as a surgeon to ever practice in the country of his birth. For 13 years Dr. Cyrus, with diplomas in both ophthamology and obstetrics, was the lone surgeon at the Colonial Hospital (now the Milton Cato Hospital). He then went on to open St. Vincent’s first private hospital, a modern facility with an operating theatre near the Botanic Gardens. His clinic, always packed with patients, was ruled over efficiently by his wife Kathryn, an English nurse he had met and married while in Europe. Kathryn was (and probably still is) a saint among woman – her job was not easy!
Dr. Cyrus was an extremely busy, highly intelligent surgeon who did NOT suffer fools gladly, and during my monthly visits whilst pregnant I never knew what to expect from him. One day he would welcome any questions I had about my pregnancy, the next day he would brush them aside impatiently. Whenever he responded to one of my questions with, “for heaven’s sake, giving birth is a natural process, why do “you people” insist on complicating it?” I knew that the good doctor wasn’t in the mood for idle chit-chat!
A stay at the Botanic Hospital, staffed with excellent nurses, was (for me anyway!) a treat. The private rooms were comfortable and clean, perfect for a post-partum rest, although I DID have to ask what the thump-thump-thump noises were during the late afternoon. I discovered that a wife and medical degree were not the only things Dr. Cyrus had brought back home from Europe; he had also formed a love for the game of squash, and introduced the sport to St. Vincent in 1966. The thump-thump-thump noises were the sounds of squash balls hitting the walls of the court built under the Botanic clinic!
Dr. Cyrus eventually retired, and in 2002 established the Dr. Cecil Cyrus Museum. This museum, including his operating theatre, was filled with fascinating pathological specimens, X-rays and photos gathered during his years as a surgeon. Dr. Cyrus also wrote several research papers and a few books, including a two-volume autobiography. The museum was bought recently, and is evidently going to be transformed into a healthcare clinic in the not-too-distant future by some American doctors. I hope they run the clinic with the same care and dedication as Dr. Cyrus and his wife Kathryn, their shoes will be extremely hard to fill!
Dr. Cyrus was knighted by Prince Charles by order of Queen Elizabeth in 2019 for services to medicine and healthcare, and a knighthood could not have gone to a more deserving Vincentian. Dr. Sir Arthur Cecil Cyrus never forgot his humble roots, and took it upon himself to become an eminently distinguished surgeon in order to improve medical care in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He was a living legend, a caring man who dedicated his life to helping others, and his recent death at the age of 94 saddened me.
Dr. Cyrus has always been at the top of my list on National Hero’s Day, and there he will remain. He was a truly remarkable man.