article: An Arizona man who suffers from an extreme case of a tumor disorder in which his body is covered in noncancerous lumps said he finally has a feeling of belonging. Bob Heslip, 50, suffers from Neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF-1, which is caused by a gene malfunction that causes the bubble-like bumps to appear all over his body. However, he says he feels comfortable in his skin for the first time in his life now that he has joined the Venice Beach Freakshow  where he has met performers including a bearded lady and America's smallest couple. 'When I met the performers, there was a feeling of belonging. I felt at home,' Heslip told The Huffington Post. Scroll down for video . Bob Heslip (pictured), 50, who suffers from Neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF-1, has joined the Venice Beach Freakshow and said for the first time in his life he feels comfortable in his skin . The noncancerous lumps began appearing on his body around puberty and became more severe as he aged . Heslip, who works at a Dollar Tree in Tuscon, said around eight months ago he was on vacation with his family in Los Angeles when they saw the Freakshow, as his daughter is a fan of the TV show. Todd Ray, the owner, saw Heslip and recognized his condition as NF-1 and began talking to him. 'I went to the front, took off my shirt and the crowd went crazy,' Heslip told the Huffington Post. He accepted Ray's offer to join the show as the 'Bubble Boy' a few weeks ago and said it gives him the platform to talk about his condition to people who otherwise just stare. For Heslip, the tumors on his body began appearing around puberty but became more severe as he aged. He noted that when he got married 25 years ago he did not have any bumps on his face, but now he does. 'I don't feel a lot of pain from the bumps,' Heslip told The Huffington Post. 'I have a large bump on the side of my body that used to be very sensitive, but not so much now.' To have the tumors surgically removed is not an option for him as he said it is not guaranteed that they will not grow back or possibly grow back larger than before. Heslip said: 'When I met the performers, there was a feeling of belonging. I felt at home' Staying in hiding from the public is also not an option as he has a family including his wife and children to support. Ray said that some people will see Heslip's hands and will not want him to touch their items while he is working because they think he is contagious. As Heslip manages his job in Tuscon and his new role as a performer, he feels comfortable in his skin for the first time in his life because of the Venice Beach Freakshow. The job which he works on the weekends is also making it possible for him to talk to others about NF-1. 'I want to teach people that it's not taboo to ask questions. I'm OK talking about it,' he told the Huffington Post. 'My son and oldest daughter also have this condition and my speaking out about it gets them excited. They know my attitude is positive.' Heslip joins performers including Asia Ray, Morgue, Jessa the Bearded Lady, Larry the Wolf Boy and Miss Sunshine as part of the Venice Beach Freakshow (pictured above) Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders affecting around one in every 3,000 people. NF-1 ranges from mild to severe and can cause more symptoms in some people than in others. The condition primarily affects the skin, the nervous system and the eyes, and most people with NF-1 have recognizable signs before the age of 10. The most common symptoms include six or more light brown skin spots (café au lait spots), freckles in unusual places, such as under the arms and in the groin, colored bumps on the iris (Lisch nodules) and Neurofibromas. Regardless if the NF-1 gene change was inherited from a parent or is newly affected, every person who has an NF-1 gene change has a 50 per cent chance of passing it on every time they have a child. Genetic testing for the NF-1 gene is available and can be coordinated for families in which testing would be appropriate. Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine .
highlights: Bob Heslip, 50, suffers from Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1)
  Condition causes noncancerous lumps to appear all over his body .
  He accepted offer to perform at freakshow on weekends as 'Bubble Boy'
  Other performers include bearded lady and America's smallest couple .
  He said: 'When I met the performers, there was a feeling of belonging'
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