Driver with Tourette syndrome creates vlog to spread awareness on condition

A 41-year-old man with Tourette syndrome has created a vlog to spread awareness on his condition and prove that he is normal.

According to GMA’s “Stories of Hope” Monday, Marlon Fuentes was still young when he was diagnosed with the disease, which caused him to move involuntarily with tics.

Tourette syndrome, as defined by Mayo Clinic, is a condition that “involves repetitive movements or unwanted sounds that can’t be easily controlled.”

It may include blinking one’s eyes, shrugging shoulders, or blurting out unusual sounds.

Marlon, who works as a driver, said he had experienced many times passengers who would ask him to stop the car so they could leave and book another ride.

“Merong konting kurot. Lagi kong sinasabi, hindi ko naman gagawin ’tong trabahong ’to kung alam kong ’di ko kaya,” he said.

[It stings a little. I always say, I won’t do this job if I know I can’t handle it.]

“Syempre iniingatan ko hindi lang naman sila eh, ako rin po (of course I’m not just protecting them, but myself too).”

After realizing that many Filipinos were unfamiliar with the disorder, Marlon launched his YouTube channel in August 2020 with the goal of spreading awareness about it.

As of writing, Marlon Fuentes TV has 19,300 subscribers.

“Gusto [ko] dumating ’yung time na yung tingin sa ’min ng mga tao, normal lang din,” he said.

[I hope the time will come when people will see us as normal too.]

According to Marlon, despite his condition, he has never figured in an accident.

“Kaya ko magmaneho. Gumagalaw lang ako nang ganito pero kaya kong gawin ’yung nagagawa niyo,” he said.

[I can drive. I just move like this but I can also do the things that you can do.]

Marlon, who had worked as a construction worker and tricycle driver, said no job could compare to the hardship he had gone through with facing people.

“Nahihirapan ako do’n sa mga tao sa paligid ko. Sobrang nahirapan kung paano nila ako maiintindihan, kung paano makikisalamuha sa kanila na mauunawaan nila ako,” he said.

[Dealing with the people around me is hard. It’s difficult for me to join them and make them understand my situation.]

While he’d had both good and bad passengers, he said both inspired him to do better and made him focus on the brighter side of things.

Marlon, who is currently expecting his third “blessing” with his wife, said he would just continue to make a living while fighting the discrimination against him and his condition.

“Unawain niyo muna ’yung kalagayan namin. May kakaiba kaming galaw o nasasabi pero parehas lang po tayo. Normal din kami.”

[Understand our condition first. We may have different actions and words but we’re the same. We’re also normal.]

“Sa mata ng Diyos, iisa lang po tayo (in God’s eyes, we’re one and the same).” – Franchesca Viernes/RC, GMA News