Kuya Kim shares his health journey and why he made the switch
TV personality and fitness buff Kim “Kuya Kim” Atienza was at the peak of his TV career when he got the biggest health scare of his life.
“I had a stroke in 2010, not only because there was a hole in my heart, but also because my lifestyle was terrible,” he shares. “I was in politics for 12 years. In 2004, I shifted to television.”
He was so in love with TV hosting — he had four shows at ABS-CBN — that he was sure being a fitness buff in the early ’80s (he was a body builder) would be enough to carry him through the physical demands of the job.
Or so Kuya Kim thought.
“The stroke hit the left frontal lobe of my brain. Nothing happened to me physically, but my mind got erased.”
Kuya Kim prayed so hard and promised the Lord that if He would make him well again, he would be “the healthiest and best version of Kuya Kim.”
“And He did. In just three days, I got 70 percent of my memory back. The remaining 30 percent I got back through rehab.”
Kuya Kim kept his promise. He became a runner, a cyclist, went back to swimming, and even ate better.
But in 2013, he got sick again. And this time, it was life threatening.
“At the peak of my fitness, I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), the same illness that took the life of actress Julie Vega,” relates Kuya Kim.
GBS is a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. It affects one out of 200,000 people in the world.
“It causes paralysis,” explains Kuya Kim. “I felt the paralysis happening in my feet and hands.”
Being a stroke survivor, Kuya Kim feared that he was having another stroke at that time, so he consulted a specialist.
“I underwent several tests. And when the results came back, my doctor informed me that I have GBS,” adds Kuya Kim.
The disease is not only self-limiting, it also put a big dent in the family’s savings.
“The treatment was very expensive. It costs P300,000 per dose. I needed 10 doses,” Kuya Kim says matter of factly.
The sad reality is, if you can’t afford the treatment, you’ll die.
“Filipinos should have equal access to medicines and supplements,” he adds. “It should be available and affordable to all.”
Building a nation of switchers
Kuya Kim, who is the newest ambassador of Watsons Brand Vitamin B Complex, shared his health scare and journey during the 10th-year celebration of Switch and Save, Watsons’ longest-running campaign.
It encourages everyone to make the switch to Watsons brand essentials and enjoy up to 80-percent savings on top-quality products.
“Life is hard for most of us. There are people who can’t even take medicines and vitamins essential to their health because they don’t have the financial means,” laments Kuya Kim, who is also a triathlete.
And Watsons has the perfect solution for that: Switch and Save. Through this advocacy, we can save as much as 80 percent on medicines and health supplements.
“For example, Vitamin B Complex, the product that I am endorsing, costs P21 in other drugstores. You know how much it is at Watsons? It’s only P4.75.”
Vitamin B Complex is composed of eight vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, and cobalamin. As the building blocks of a healthy body, Vitamin B Complex has a direct impact on energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism. It is vital in maintaining good health and overall wellness and helps repair damaged cells and keeps the nervous system healthy.
“Switch and Save is aimed at educating the public that the high cost of medicine and vitamins should not stop us from taking care of our health,” says Jared de Guzman, Watsons Philippines customer director. “Switch and Save offers high quality, effective and affordable products that were created with customer care and satisfaction in mind.”
Watsons brands thousands of products covering all categories, from health essentials, personal care, skin care and baby care to paper goods and cotton, hair care, and more.
With more than 900 stores nationwide, Watsons Philippines celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and will open its 1,000th store in the Philippines by yearend.
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For inquiries, follow @watsonsph on Instagram, like and follow Watsons PH on Facebook and follow @watsonsphilippines on TikTok.
