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Victory of the Spirit: "Mom and Dad with me all the time" Israel today

2021-04-22T12:05:43.629Z


| Israeli basketball Justin Tillman lost his parents in Corona in about two months, had a hard time recovering and was angry with God ("I asked why me?") • Watch the exciting interview of Kochav Hapoel Tel Aviv Justin Tillman. "I did not want to leave the house" Photo:  Danny Maron At the end of the interview after the big win over Hapoel Jerusalem last month, Justin wanted to say a few words: "I went through a lo


Justin Tillman lost his parents in Corona in about two months, had a hard time recovering and was angry with God ("I asked why me?") • Watch the exciting interview of Kochav Hapoel Tel Aviv

  • Justin Tillman.

    "I did not want to leave the house"

    Photo: 

    Danny Maron

At the end of the interview after the big win over Hapoel Jerusalem last month, Justin wanted to say a few words: "I went through a lot in the last year, I lost my parents to Corona, I was injured and moved between countries. I feel blessed to be here, in this country and in the team I love so much ".

Reporter: Yaakov Meir // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon

Tillman, 25, did have a tragic and terrible year.

In April his father John after she fell ill in Corona and about two months later his mother also died as a result of a complication of the virus.

In a special interview with "Israel Today", a Hapoel Tel Aviv star explains why it was important for him to share with fans and viewers what he went through. 

"I wanted to show people that the corona is something that everyone faces and even things that look glamorous, do not forget hard things that happen. I wanted people to know what motivates me and what makes me perform at a high level and how much I am connected to my parents to this day."

"I was broken and crushed"

"I played at Gilboa / Galil and the season was just stopped because of the Corona so I bought a plane ticket back home," he recounts what he went through in the past year. "I contacted my father and told him not to tell my mother I was coming. He felt a little unwell, but he did not "He made a scene like he was sick. In general, my dad was never sick. I got on the flight and when I got off in New York I saw a lot of missed calls from my sister. She told me our parents were rushed to the hospital during the 14 hours I was on the plane."

"When I got home I understood the situation. I had heard about the corona before, but only when it hit my family did I really understand. When my dad was rushed to the hospital it got serious, they were unconscious some of the time and their body tried to recover. It was hard to see them in that situation.

"My mother kept telling me how the situation was not improving and talked about their problems. My mother had a heart attack in the past so I was more worried about her, because my father is a berry person. It was hard when they did not let me see them, you should be able to talk to your parents when they are home Sick, but my dad was no longer conscious and we talked to him even though he did not answer.We encouraged him to keep fighting, but it was already too late.

"Those were hard days that are indescribable. My sister cried a lot and kept walking around in shock at home and mumbled 'he's gone, he's gone.'

Tillman.

Not broken in spite of everything // Photo: Danny Maron

After his father passed away, his mother's condition actually improved and the doctors already thought she could be released, but then she had a stroke and her condition deteriorated rapidly.

"I lost my dad and I didn't want to lose my mother either, so we looked for her the best hospital there is. We got to the best hospital in Michigan and moved her by helicopter there. The doctors treated her really well, we talked to her on Facebook and also with the medical staff. She started. To recover, but half of her body was paralyzed and she could not speak.

"Only when my grandmother came one day and saw that she was not responding did she tell her to open her eyes, and that's really what she did. From there the situation kept getting better and she even started talking in a whisper. It was a difficult time. We would talk and she would forget what we were talking about. I just showed "She's there for her and how much I care about her and she's important to me."

Just when his mother passed away, Justin was not by her side.

The doctors said the situation was stable, so he went to Houston to relax a bit and exercise with friends.

"Suddenly my sister called crying and told me what had happened. I was broken and crushed. To this day I take solace in the fact that I managed to be with her long before she passed away."

Tillman with his late parents // Photo: From Instagram

"I wish I could meet them again"

This interview is one of the few cases where you hardly have to ask questions, but just let things be taken for granted.

"I miss the moments I had with my parents," Tillman says with tears in his eyes, "I wish I had the opportunity to thank them for what they did for me or to be with them again even once. They believed in me, kept me in trouble and made sure I had a good life."

"After my mother also died, I no longer wanted to go out of the house. A lot of people offered to pay us for things related to my parents, the funeral and insurance and nothing interested me."

At the time, did you even think about going back to playing basketball?

"My parents always pushed me to do what I love and am good at. My dad always believed in me more than I did myself. It's one of the things that pushed me to stand on my own two feet and come back to myself. Their faith gives me confidence to see where I was and where I am now. I want to influence and be remembered "And my last name. I want to show everyone what I'm worth."

"I still feel like they's with me all the time, watching over me and taking care of me. When the anthem is playing or before I go on the field I close my eyes and imagine my dad watching me like he would, smiling and waving. I can literally see where he is sitting. It gives me strength to keep doing What I do. "

Have you ever asked God why all this happened to you?

"I did not want to talk to God, I was angry with him for what happened. I asked why I? I never died someone who is so important to me. I thought I was in a movie. Both my parents died, it's crazy. My cousin close to us hugged me and cared for me and spoke on my behalf "God thanked him for all I had left. It comforted me, improved my mood and gave me confidence that I could recover." 

Tillman relates that one of the things that kept me going all that time was the relationship with his sister.

"She's stronger than me. Before my parents died I was not that close to her because my parents gave me enough attention. But now, after all that has happened, we are inseparable. When I cry here at night, she's there for me. All. "The time her parents fell ill and then died she was pregnant, and shortly after my mother passed away she had a daughter. Think what it is, the grandparents are dead, and suddenly their granddaughter is born."

Tillman in the last league game against Bnei Herzliya.

Blooming on the field // Photo: Oded Karni

"Want them not to forget our last name"

At the beginning of the current season, Tillman signed with Dynamo Sassari, but found it difficult to integrate and later moved to the Turkish Bursaspor, which he wanted to leave after a few games due to poor conditions and inappropriate treatment.

"In Israel, it's a completely different story. People here make me feel at home. People have open arms and make me feel comfortable. They give me motivation and confidence. In Turkey and Italy, I did not feel comfortable and it affected me."

Can you assure Hapoel Tel Aviv fans that the team will not be relegated to the second division?

"Our team has a lot of talent in every position. I'm sure we'll stay in the first division next season as well."

Hapoel want you to continue next season as well, is there a chance that this will happen?

"There was indeed initial talk. I need to talk to my agents, see the numbers and then we will decide. I enjoy being in Tel Aviv and playing for Hapoel. The coaches and the club believe in me and I am fine here."

When you are alone and trying not to think about what you went through, what do you do?

"I like to imagine myself a millionaire and do what I want and can take care of everything and who I want. I will have everything I want and I can do what I want."

And in basketball, what's your biggest dream?

“My dream is to get to the NBA before college I never thought about playing outside the US so of course that's what I want most of all.

But if it does not work out, I want to reach a top Euroleague team, like Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Play at this level and let everyone know my name and my last name. "

Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2021-04-22

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