TIPTON, Ind. -- A Tipton man lives with a rare skin disorder that makes some of the most simple tasks painful.

Bruce Gunn has epidermolysis bullosa, or EB, a rare debilitating disease. Gunn doesn't want sympathy, but wants people to be aware of the relatively unknown disorder.

The genetic condition causes Gunn's skin to blister and break at the slightest touch. Sometimes, the blisters become open wounds.

Antibiotics help, but Gunn spends four hours a day bandaging the sores and working to prevent new ones. He uses various ointments and different types of dressing to treat the sores.

"I'm in pain every day. Somewhere on my body, I'm sore," Gunn said.

There is no cure for EB, but Gunn maintains a positive outlook.

"I think I'm blessed. God didn't give me skin, but he gave me a positive attitude and my parents brought me up the right way," Gunn said.

After 20 hand surgeries, functional thumbs give Gunn independence and freedom.

"It's still going to cause me blisters, but you can't let EB stop you from living your life," Gunn said.

Gunn found a support group on the Internet. He has become an inspiration to others living with EB.

"I'm highly regarded in my EB community because of my age, my wisdom and my advice for people having a hard time healing," Gunn said.

Gunn is one of 100,000 people with the most rare form of EB. Because the skin is so fragile, they face a 70 percent greater chance of developing skin cancer.

At 38, Gunn has beaten cancer twice. People with EB generally die from the disorder as teenagers.

While there is no cure, gene replacement therapy offers hope.

"There's still a long way to go. That's not smooth sailing as everybody initially thought it would be," said Dr. Gary Bellus.