Frankie Rhys: educator, musician and activist battling diabetes

Frankie Rhys

Frankie Rhys is a local pioneer in jazz music and is also a well known activist for social causes. But he has been battling with diabetes for over thirty years and in the past months his condition has been deteriorating. Rhys has been transferred from the hospital to his home because further treatment is not available in Belize. His fighting spirit has kept him going and News Five’s Jose Sanchez found out that even from his sick bed, he has a message.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Frankie Rhys, a well known musician, educator and activist, has disappeared from the limelight over the past year. His wife said that he has fallen ill after three decades of battling diabetes.

Diane Rhys, Wife of Frankie Rhys

“In 1986 he was diagnosed with type two diabetes. From the very beginning he realized that he can’t control it just by pills and strict diet; that’s not his personality. So he went on insulin.”

Regular use of insulin controlled his condition for over twenty-one years. According to Diane Rhys, he was the sole breadwinner for the family because his she suffers from a tumor on her spine. While getting treatment for her condition in the U.S. in 2009, Frankie became severely ill. The roles have reversed and now she takes care of Frankie.

Diane Rhys

“My son called me about nine o clock, New York time. And he said—the first thing I said was how is daddy? He said that’s why I’m calling you because daddy’s been in the bed all day and he don’t wanna get out. So I said let me talk to him and when I started to talk to him, I heard a man that was dying literally because he—the words, the things that he was saying were very depressing and I told my son hang up the phone and take him quickly to the hospital. I said because if you don’t by morning he will be dead. We took him to the hospital in November; he stayed there for about ten days. He came back, everything started to get worst. At this point he’s beginning to get even thinner and I said to him we have to go to the hospital. He says no I’m going to be okay. It finally got to the point where he couldn’t even sit up. I had to lift him up and he said I think we need to go to the hospital.  Neither Frankie nor I at this point can do anything in terms of finding a job to bring in any income. Our friends have been very kind and my family, so now Dr. Musa says we’ve gone as far as we can go. We can’t go any further. If we could take him back to states, maybe they could repair the damages done.”

In 1999, News Five caught up with Frankie when he spoke about the need to develop music programs in schools.

Frankie Rhys, Sounds Incorporated (March 31st, 1999)

“There’s a real problem with the lack of resources. It’s not always an excuse but I’m just hoping that out of this workshop more people who are interested in music on a serious level get together and maybe by working together as a group we can help achieve something. One of the problems with Belize is that everything is political and politics and music don’t mix.”

Carlos Perrote and the Rhys have been making jazz music ever since they met in 1999.

Carlos Perrote

Carlos Perrote, Musician

“We the pioneers in the XL Band, it’s a band we made to play jazz. W e started playing in different parts of Belize; the Radisson, Biltmore, Caesar’s Place, jazz festival in San Pedro. He’s the only guy that plays real jazz because he knows about that. So he and me and his wife were a team and play most of the jazz standard.”

Since the Rhys’ lack a stable source of income, the Association for Belizean Artists First has organized a benefit concert for Frankie.

Tony Wright, Association for Belizean Artists First

“We decided to get together and raise funds because, I heard Diane say they may need to take him abroad for treatment. He really needs the finance so we decide to do this show for him.”

Jose Sanchez

“His wife says he wants to play in his concert.”

Carlos Perrote

“I want him to come play with us because what I say, he and I played for ten years. So right now he noh feel well but I hope he come and play something with us.”

Frankie Rhys

Frankie, ever the activist, has shown his face to us only because he wanted the public to see that insulin dependency without a lifestyle change can ravage the body.  The before and after photos of Frankie speaks volumes about diabetes.

Elena Smith, Administrative Secretary, NTUCB

“That is the Frankie I would expect to see; somebody who, even when he is down, he would be fighting for other people because nobody heard Frankie come out and say “I am in need of this, I am in need of financial assistance.” He kept everything to himself but yet he’s willing to do this for people can see what diabetes can do and people can get help from as early as possible. So I expected no less of him. And I am proud of him for doing that and I’m hoping teachers that he has worked with over his years as an educator would come out to that concert and give the support for him as a colleague, as a friend, as a unionist and all members of the union can come out and support him in his time of need because he has done his share for us as union members and for the country of Belize.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

The concert will be held on the nineteenth of February at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts. The show starts at eight and the organizers are asking for a donation of ten dollars for Rhys.  The concert’s promoter, Tony Wright, says that many artists have agreed to perform including: Lord Rhaburn, Elsworth Castillo, Jorge Babb, Carlos Perrote and Lynn Young.