Alberto Gomez, living with ichthyosis, a genetic skin disorder that leaves him unable to cool himself naturally during extreme heat, shows his hands in Arroyomolinos, near Madrid, on July 1, 2026. [AFP]
Every summer, Alberto Gomez lives with a fear most people never consider.
The 36-year-old Spanish physics and chemistry teacher has a rare genetic skin disorder that leaves him unable to sweat properly -- and therefore unable to cool himself naturally during extreme heat.
"If you're having a hard time, imagine what it means for me. My fear is suffering a heatstroke and not being able to recover from it," he told AFP at a gym near his home in Arroyomolinos near Madrid.
As Spain's increasingly intense summers bring more frequent and prolonged periods of extreme heat, Gomez is among a small number of people living with the condition.
