Graeme Souness to swim Channel for charity’s appeal on rare skin disorder

Graeme Souness is looking to raise funds for Debra, a charity which supports people with epidermolysis bullosa. Photograph: ANL/Shutterstock

Graeme Souness, the former Liverpool and Rangers midfielder, has announced plans to swim the Channel to raise money for Debra, a charity which supports people with EB (epidermolysis bullosa). Otherwise known as “butterfly skin”, the rare and extremely painful genetic condition causes the skin to become fragile and tear or blister.

Souness gave his backing to the charity after meeting Isla Grist, a 14-year-old living with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. “From the time I have spent with Isla and her family, I have seen first-hand the extreme pain this devastating condition causes and the daily challenges it creates,” he said.

He is now set to undertake the 21-mile swim between Dover and Calais – which can take up to 16 hours – as part of a six-person team including Isla’s father, Andy. “This will certainly be the most difficult challenge I’ve ever taken on,” Souness added. “I am determined to complete the swim, though. Alongside Isla’s dad, Andy, and the rest of the team, we will complete the challenge and in doing so raise awareness and support to find the treatments that are so desperately needed.”

'It's the cruellest, nastiest, disease.. this is a very special young lady and she gets me in tears every time'

Former footballer Graeme Souness told #BBCBreakfast why he's swimming the Channel to raise funds for the charity DEBRA - details on their website pic.twitter.com/2QUEoYfLaG

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 22, 2023

Souness, who stepped down from his role as a Sky Sports pundit last month, is aiming to raise £1.1m for Debra’s “A Life Free From Pain” appeal, which hopes to develop treatments to improve the quality of life for people living with the condition.

Discussing the swim in an emotional interview with BBC Breakfast, Souness called Grist “an inspiration” and praised her courage. “It properly punched me on the nose when I first witnessed the suffering,” he said. “This disease is the cruellest, nastiest disease that I know of. For someone so young to be so brave … she’s just an absolute hero.”