As someone in the business of health and wellness, Sam Tejada has seen firsthand how being able to take care of oneself is offering some peace of mind during the pandemic.
The founder and president of Liquivida Lounge, a medical spa that offers intravenous vitamin therapy as well as a variety of medical services, says that currently its most popular formula is its immunity boost IV drip, which has 25,000 milligrams of vitamin C. That’s equivalent, Tejada says, to the amount found in 490 oranges.
Tejada founded Liquivida in partnership with two doctors, first in Coconut Creek and then as a storefront lounge in Fort Lauderdale. There are now locations throughout South Florida as well as Arizona, Connecticut and New Jersey. As clinics staffed with doctors and midlevel practitioners, Liquivida locations have stayed open to help clients keep stay healthy—while practicing social distancing. Remaining open has also allowed Tejada, a former firefighter/paramedic, to help a community he holds dear.
“I have a lot of friends that are still firefighters and police officers,” Tejada says. “[They told me], ‘Sam, we’re getting exposed to this stuff, and there’s nothing that the cities are currently doing for us to boost our immune systems.’ When I started hearing that from some of my close friends, I thought, ‘This is a great opportunity for me to be able to give back to the guys who I worked so closely with.’ These guys were family. I lived with them one third of the year, every year.”
In April, Tejada launched a campaign in Liquivida’s South Florida locations to administer 100 free Natural Defense IV kits to firefighters. Within three days, they reached the goal, and currently, Liquivida is offering a discount to first responders, nurses and hospital staff for the kit as well as free vitamin B12 shots to firefighters.
“They feel that at least they’re doing everything in their power to keep themselves healthy, keep their immune system at its peak. The immune boost is just one part. There are other benefits as well. You get the different B vitamins that boost up your energy levels, helping to prevent yourself from feeling fatigued. There are different minerals, and there’s also hydration, which is extremely important, especially as we start getting hot weather through.”
While Liquivida expands its reach through telemedicine services, Tejada has plans to build a wellness center offering diagnostic tests focused on preventing diseases. These would include ultrasounds, comprehensive blood work and hair analysis that reveals nutrient deficiencies and more—something that Liquivida is currently offering through mail-in testing and telemedicine consultation.
In the meantime, Tejada is looking forward to helping as many first responders as he can.
“I’ve been in those shoes as a firefighter/paramedic,” he says. “My goal was, ‘Let’s help these guys now.’ Even if thousands of dollars have to come out of my pocket, I know what I’m doing has a purpose behind it. And that purpose is to be able to help people. That’s the purpose of Liquivida.”
