The mayor of Stonecrest said he underwent a successful surgery as part of his second battle with cancer.
Jason Lary, who has been on a medical leave of absence following his cancer diagnosis in November, posted a video taken after his surgery on his social media accounts. By Wednesday afternoon, the video amassed nearly 300 comments wishing the mayor a speedy recovery.
“My surgery went well, and I am checking out today,” he said in the Dec. 29 video, which was posted Monday. “Everything is fine. The cancer was removed, taken out of me, and we’re in good shape.”
In November, Lary announced that he was battling a “second round of a more aggressive cancer,” that would require a medical leave of absence until March. He was previously diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 2018, but he didn’t take any time off during his radiation treatments.
Neither Lary nor the city has provided further details on the latest cancer. The mayor said he wished to keep other details private.
“My wife and I and our family are, by nature, very private people, but when you are in public office this comes with it,” Lary said in November. “Per my wife’s instructions, who I listen to the most, this time I take care of me.”
The city previously said Lary’s treatment plan was being devised by doctors at Kaiser Permanente and Emory Healthcare. His initial prognosis was “good.”
The City Council voted unanimously to grant Lary’s medical leave. Lary, 58, was elected as Stonecrest’s first mayor when the DeKalb County city was chartered in 2017. The city was the most populous in the county until this year’s census, when Brookhaven surpassed it.
According to the city charter, the mayor or a council member would forfeit their seat if they fail to attend one-third of the regularly scheduled city council meetings within a three-month period without being excused by the council. The charter led to lawsuits against Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble, who missed two council meetings last year, but a judge ended up denying the petition.
The city said Lary will keep the public updated on his progress.
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