Football legend Graeme Souness CBE, who inspired the nation in June 2023 with his heroic swim across the English Channel, is preparing to return to the water—this time with an even greater challenge ahead—to support those living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as butterfly skin.
His remarkable effort last year raised over £1.5 million for DEBRA UK, a charity dedicated to people affected by this rare and painful skin disorder. Now, Graeme is determined to go even further by swimming the Channel to France and back—a double-distance relay to raise crucial funds and awareness.
In May, Graeme and a team of six swimmers will set off on the round-trip journey, hoping to generate momentum—and donations—for vital clinical trials that could lead to real breakthroughs in EB treatment.
Explaining what drives him, 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.”
Scheduled for early May—weather permitting—the swim aims to raise £750,000. This will allow DEBRA to fund two additional trials testing existing medications used for severe eczema and psoriasis, which may also help relieve EB symptoms such as painful blisters, open wounds, and relentless itching.
To learn more about EB, visit www.debra.org.uk, and to support Graeme and his team, please donate at www.give.as/debra.
