Bracknell, UK March 2025 – In June 2023, football legend, Graeme Souness CBE, donned his wetsuit and swam the English Channel to help raise awareness of a rare genetic skin blistering condition known as epidermolysis bullosa (EB), more commonly known as butterfly skin.
His exploits captured the public’s imagination and helped raise over £1.5m for EB charity, DEBRA UK. Now Graeme is getting back in the water to take on his biggest challenge yet.
In May, Graeme and a team of six will be doing double the distance for EB, swimming to France and back.
Commenting on his latest fundraising challenge, Graeme said:
“I was truly blown away by the support we got back in 2023. I had to do something for my wee friend, Isla, and the thousands of other children and adults affected by this cruel condition. With the money raised DEBRA was able to start testing drugs which could be life-changing for people with EB, but there are many more drugs that they need to test if we are to secure effective treatments for every form of EB, treatments that could help stop the extreme pain of EB. This is why we’re getting back in the water once again. It’s going to be tough; I’m 72 now and it’s double the distance, but I know we can do this, we must do this, we must BE the difference for EB”.
Graeme and the team are due to hit the water in early May, time and tide depending, and hope to raise £750,000 which could fund a further two EB clinical trials, which are focused on testing existing licenced drugs that already successfully treat other inflammatory skin conditions like severe eczema and psoriasis and which could be effective in improving the symptoms of EB including incredibly painful blisters and open wounds, and excruciating itch.
For more information about EB please visit www.debra.org.uk and to sponsor Graeme and the team please visit www.give.as/debra
ENDS