Glendora's Kenny Krips, born with a rare skin condition called Lamellar Ichthyosis, will be featured on TLC's new documentary series, 'Two in a Million.'
When you are the one in 600,000 that are born with a rare disease, life can feel a bit lonesome at times.
Glendora resident Kenny Krips was born with Lamellar Ichthyosis -- a rare condition that causes the skin to grow ten times faster than normal, resulting in large, scale-like patches that inhibit sweating and cause other medical issues.
After an article appeared online about his condition, the TLC network contacted him concerning a new television series.
Kenny Krips, of Glendora, works full time at Cooper Hospital. Here he is helping his new friend Bobbi choose an interview outfit as she starts preparing for her job search. Krips will appear in the new TLC documentary series 'Two in a Million' on April 27. (Photo provided by Discovery Communications) "The article summed up my life in a few paragraphs, and they thought I'd be a good candidate for the series," Krips said.
The documentary, "Two in a Million," brings two people who share the same rare disease together.
"It was a riveting experience," he said. "Life-changing."
Growing up, Krips said he was blessed with a great group of friends, but his condition did cause speculation by those who didn't know him well.
"Some people thought I was burnt in a fire," Krips said. "You either turn a deaf ear to it or try to educate people. But did I feel isolated? Yes, but that's an appropriate feeling for an unusual situation."
So, when the opportunity to meet someone else with Lamellar Ichthyosis presented itself, Krips jumped at the chance.
"I flew to Arizona and hung out there, then she took her first flight to Philadelphia with me," Krips said.
Kenny Krips, of Glendora, takes new friend Bobbi to explore Philadelphia. Krips will appear in the new TLC documentary series 'Two in a Million' on April 27. (Photo provided by Discovery Communications) The TLC camera crew accompanied them everywhere they went.
"It was a fantastic experience," he said. "There were times I forgot a camera crew was following us because we were so engaged in conversation. The crew was amazing. They were very kind to us."
Tune in April 27 at 10 p.m. for the premiere of "Two in a Million," featuring Krips.
Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.