Literary Icon, Glenn Tillett, Passes at Age 62
Glenn Tillett
A literary icon and activist, Glenn Tillett, passed away on Thursday at the Intensive Care Unit at the K.H.M.H. Born in Monkey River, Tillett spent some of his childhood in the Pomona Valley. But he came to national and international prominence for his masterful ability to write, and through his popular column: Between These Lines. Today, News Five’s Marion Ali takes a glimpse at the life of the sixty-two-year-old Glenn Tillett.
Glenn Tillett, Dialysis Patient (File: Oct. 25, 2018)
“I thought it was a death sentence. I thought it was frightening, horrifying because I knew that dialysis while available, it was not very accessible because it was expensive. The cost at that time was well over a thousand dollars per week. The first realization I had to come to was that my life had totally changed and accept that I had to have dialysis every few days simply to remain alive.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Glenn Tillett, a popular Belizean columnist, editor, and activist, did not hide his personal struggles with renal failure. In fact, he shared as much of it in public spaces and social media to educate the community of the effects of the disease. His sister, Karla Tillett and his nephew, Thylon Tillett, told us that Glenn’s struggle made the family become aware of what the disease is and the care that people need who suffer from renal failure.
Karla Tillett
Karla Tillett, Sister of Glenn Tillett
“We didn’t know anything about what dialysis is all about, but through Glenn, we found out. But what we learned more about dialysis was the struggles he had with the system that he had to work in, that he had to be in, to be able to get dialysis, maintain a certain quality of living, and the high costs. And some of the obstacles, you know, some of the freedom that we take for granted, where food and drink is concerned.”
Thylon Tillett
Thylon Tillett, Nephew of Glenn Tillett
“Glenn being the public persona that he is, made the Belizean society aware of what are some of the challenges facing dialysis patients throughout the nation. I think at one point he even talked about the quality of care that is distributed across between the different agencies that those dialysis in the news, myself being a part of the K.H.M.H, we had various discussions about the quality of the service that the K.H.M.H offers.”
Tillett first began to draw a steady audience to his column in the Amandala newspaper, called Between These Lines. It was a title he would take with him more recently to Facebook, touching on issues of national concern in a comprehensive and eloquent way as only he could. Glenn’s media colleague, Evan Mose Hyde put into perspective the kind of writer Glenn was.
On the phone: Evan Mose Hyde
On the phone: Evan Mose Hyde, Media Colleague of Glenn Tillett
“He was really the Swiss Army knife of personalities that we had, and so while he may have been the editor of the newspaper, it has to be pointed out that he was also very involved in our endeavors with sports. In fact, he was for a time, the general manager of our championship winning Raiders Basketball Team. He was not a one cylinder guy. Yes, he was a great writer, but I think his writing was made even better because he was plugged into so many different things. It was must read when that started in the newspaper, that’s must read. So you did the editorial, you did the publisher and Between These Lines from Glenn Tillett was must read.”
When Tillett left the Amandala in the late 1990’s he became a political advisor. Former Belize City Mayor and Minister of government, Joe Coye, relived those memories when Glenn was his right hand.
Jose Coye
Jose Coye, Friend of Glenn Tillett
“I decided to make my debut in municipal electoral politics and that was in the year 1989 and it was on that campaign trail that I first met him. One of the distinguishing things about that relationship was that when I met him, he was an activist for the U.D.P and here I was a candidate for the P.U.P, but there is one thing that I learned from that first period of our meeting: there are times, if we could only sit and talk with each other, we will come to accept that we have more in common that binds us than the differences that divide us. And that’s one of the things I will remember Glenn for always. He was my closest confidant and my advisor. We won the elections and Glenn went on with me into national politics. He worked with me all those years. Glenn must live on and he must live on through us. That is what I would like to see for him.”
Karla Tillett said the I.C.U staff at the K.H.M.H did their best to give her brother the best possible care, for which she is forever grateful.
Karla Tillett
“We need to commend them. The fact that they have to provide care to these patients around the clock and still have to meet the families and be able to speak to the families in regards to all our questions and our cares and concerns, they are an amazing group of people, and we need to make the country aware that they have an amazing staff there.”
Marion Ali for News Five.
