Around GMA

Article Inside Page

41-year-old TNVS driver Marlon Fuentes recently went viral for sharing videos of his passengers' reactions to his medical condition called Tourette Syndrome.

In a recent episode of Pinoy MD, neurologist Dr. Kristina Anne Co explained what Tourette Syndrome is.

“Ang Tourette Syndrome ay isang neurologic condition na kung saan ang pasyente ay may tics, Dr. Co tells Pinoy MD. “Tics ay mga biglaang galaw ng katawan, mga tunog or boses, na paulit-ulit.”

She also said that some of the triggers of the tics experienced by patients with Tourette Syndrome include stress, excitement, exhaustion, and high emotions.

Dr. Co also revealed that the medical condition tends to be genetic or hereditary and is caused by abnormalities in the chemicals in the brain.

She said the chemical imbalances are responsible for involuntary body movements or tics.

According to Marlon, his Tourette Syndrome symptoms started showing when he was only 7 years old

At first, it was just movements or tics on his face, then as he grew older, it progressed to his whole body.

Marlon said that he experienced discrimination when applying for jobs because of his condition.

“Nag-a-apply ako ng trabaho, pero palagi akong hindi natatanggap,” Marlon told Pinoy MD. “Alam mo 'yung doon ka lang titingnan sa panget na anggulo, hindi sa magandang anggulo eh. Alam mo sa sarili mong kaya mo pero hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan eh.”

Viral TikTokerist and TNVS driver Marlon Fuentes sheds light on Tourette Syndrome / Source: Pinoy MD

And even now that he's already working as a TNVS driver, he still gets discriminated against for having Tourette

“'Pag nakita ako, kahit sinabi ko na at may placard ako na may Tourette's Syndrome ako, natatakot talaga sila.

“Hindi sila nagtitiwala. Iniisip nila parang, 'Kaya bang magmaneho nung taong ganito?' parang ganun. Parang binigiyan ng hangganan, ng limitasyon.”

Fortunately, Marlon never gave up and didn't allow discrimination to keep him from following his passion.

Now, aside from being a TNVS driver, Marlon is also a vlogger and TikTokerist, who constantly spreads awareness about Tourette Syndrome while also being an inspiration to others.

At present, there is still no known cure for Tourette Syndrome, and only certain medications and the practice of relaxing and controlling one's emotions help alleviate the tics.

But despite that, Marlon remains positive and hopes more people will come to understand Tourette Syndrome and what people living with it truly need.

“Meron kang puwedeng inimong gamot na makakatulong, pero hindi talaga mawawala. Pero 'yung respeto at pang-unawa, 'yun 'yung ang isang napakagandang gamot para sa amin. Ang gusto talaga naming 'yung maunawaan kami, hindi kami kaawaan.”

Learn more about Tourette Syndrome in the Pinoy MD video below.

For more features like this, watch Pinoy MD every Saturday, 6 a.m. on GMA.