Bracknell, UK April 2025 -Tomorrow (Wednesday April 30th), football legend, Graeme Souness CBE, will be donning his wetsuit once more to swim the English Channel. This time though he’s swimming there and back to be the difference for epidermolysis bullosa (EB).
Graeme and a team of six are taking on this epic challenge to help raise awareness of a rare genetic skin blistering condition known as EB or butterfly skin. EB causes the skin to be very fragile, as fragile as a butterfly’s wing where even the slightest knock or friction causes it to blister and tear.
Graeme first captured the public’s imagination in June 2023 with the first English Channel swim which raised over £1.5m for EB charity, DEBRA UK. Now he and the team are back for more.
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 UK was able to start testing drugs which could be life-changing 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. This is why we’re getting back in the water once again. It’s going to be tough; I’m 71 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 at Dover Harbour at 11:30am on Wednesday 30th April. They hope to raise £750,000 which could fund a further two EB clinical trials which could lead to treatments that help improve EB symptoms including painful blisters, 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