Tanning used to treat rare disorder
High school sports star combats skin condition by going to tanning salon
A New Jersey high school senior Josh Borrelli is a hoops sensation, inspiring the community of Medford, N.J., by recently scoring 1,000 points in his career with a two point bucket against Cherry Hill West Tuesday night.
However it is how he handles adversity off the court that has inspired the entire country. Borrelli suffers from a rare disorder called Mucha-Habermann.
It affects the body's T-cells and causes lesions to develop all over his body, unless he goes tanning.
"Everyday I have to go to a tanning salon for eight minutes a day and each night I have to take a pill before I go to bed," Borrelli said.
The treatment seems odd in a state where lawmakers are working to put restrictions on tanning salons, but family members said doctors recommended the tanning treatment because UV rays help keep the lesions from developing and make his body healthy.
Borrelli said he takes it all in stride.
"As I look at it, it's just another bump in the road. There's people out there who are a lot more worse off than me," he said.
Borrelli's story has been seen on national television and covered in many newspapers across the nation. He said he wants to raise awareness about the condition and help others like him.
He first noticed an outbreak of lesions back when he was in eighth grade and his parents thought his case might have been the only one in the nation.
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