Former footballer and pundit Graeme Souness reveals in an emotional interview this week that he’s to take on new challenge for charity.
The 71 year old is to lead another major challenge raising awareness for children affected by a rare and painful skin disorder, Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as butterfly skin, which is something his friend Isla Grist, 16, has.
It is a degenerative condition that attacks children’s organs and development. Epidermolysis bullosa causes the skin to become fragile and often results in painful blisters. And as these challenges take place, there is currently no cure for the condition. So funds are being raised to held with research, medication and hopefully that all important cure.
Last year, he completed a relay swim of the English Channel for DEBRA UK, swimming the 30-mile stretch of the English Channel to help stop the pain of EB.
Now the relay team are to reform, this time to swim the Channel in both directions – followed by an 85-mile cycle ride from Dover to London.
As Souness continues to recover from surgery, he will be joining the cycling part of the challenge, which takes place in September, but he admitted to Isla Grist, who is living with EB, that injury stops him fully taking part.
Please donate today and be the difference for EB: bit.ly/4fgIQc6
Former Liverpool & Scotland footballer Graeme Souness is to lead another major challenge raising awareness for children affected by a rare and painful skin disorder.
A relay team will swim the Channel both ways and then cycle from Dover to London in September – but on… pic.twitter.com/bqwb3vn2av
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 23, 2024
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, he said: “I was rarely injured and if I was, I was a quick healer, so after the swim my shoulder was playing up I left it, that was June, so I left it till January thinking you know give it a decent amount of time to recover it didn’t so I had an operation and January the 11th and then that short film showed me trying it again but it’s not right so I went back for another scan, I thought I could push through it but I went for another scan and still way of feeling properly and that was 5 months after had operation. So I’m just going to do the cycle.
“What Isla is she’s the captain of the team she’s led from the front she’s put herself out there what we’ve done in the last 12 months we made so many people aware of this disastrous disease what it does to these children and the families who have to live with it and she has been a true trooper she has led from the front put herself out there you know it’s difficult for her to get about but she’s not shying away from any challenge so this is our inspiration the guys are swim with we talk about her all the time she is our inspiration she is a a warrior.
“We’ll do our best I mean I have to see when you know I get Lindsay who runs our challenges she um catches me when I’ve had maybe two glasses, three glasses of wine and then I’m up for anything when she said we’re going to swim there and swim back yeah I can do that no problem I’m not a good swimmer I’m a poor swimmer I was likened you know this group I’m involved with ex-military you know they are hardcore so early on they said to me well you’re the wrong shape for swimming oh thanks very much the wrong shape for yeah and then I was described as I think it was reverse psychology and then I was described as a diesel engine where they were Ferraris so it’s like being back in the Liverpool dressing room where you know it was it was a hard school but we do it for this young lady and as I’ve said already you know if few if you witness what she goes through on a daily hourly by minute basis you know us enduring a wee bit of cold water this time a wee bit of a few hours on a bike it’s nothing to what what this young lady goes through on a daily basis.”
Isla said on her condition and daily routine: “So every morning I have to while I’m getting dressed check what my bandages are still in place they’re still there and takes about 20 minutes every morning and then three times a week I have to change my bandages every single one that takes about 5 hours so we do have to work life even though I am going to London with gram after this I still have to do them later today with my mom in a hotel it there’s no there’s no rest you can’t just put it to the side when you’re busy so literally 24/7 every day and I have had sleepless nights just with itch and pain and there are so many people in the UK in the world that have this and no one knows about it.”
Graeme adds: “Because of you know we’ve raised awareness which is equally as important as the money we’ve raised you know we’ve had people sending £10-15 with a note to say you know they’ve gone without something that week just to donate so a big thank you to all those people and we’ve got a corporate a corporate donator actually in Manchester, Peninsula group, they they have they’ve put hell of a lot of money into to helping us so you know this is just another hopefully play that people stick with us you know this isn’t going away her condition isn’t going away and we’ve got to keep it going haven’t we.”
In his previous interview a year ago, he said: “Isla is the most unique human being I’ve ever met and she does this to me every time, I am.
“She’s an inspiration to me, even at my age.
“I came across this disease five years ago.
“I went to dinner in London.
“There was a young lady there who’s a sufferer, her name was Maya from Birmingham.
“And then I got in touch with DEBRA Scotland, because I thought England be taken care of.
“And then we became mates, didn’t we?
“And, you know, I am football.
“Football does its bit for charity.
“You know, players are much maligned, much criticised, but football does its bit.
“And throughout my life, I’ve had the good fortune to spend time with people who have not been very well.
“But I knew nothing about this disease.
“This disease is a cruelest, excuse me, I knew this would happen.
“It’s the cruelest, nastiest disease out there that I know of.
“And for someone so young to be so brave and Isla is aware of the impact this has on her mum and dad and she helps them.
‘This is a very special young lady you’re in the company of. She really is.
“And she gets me in tears every time I’m in her company.
“I’m involved because I’ve got a bit of a profile and I knew nothing about this.
“I’d never heard of this disease.
“And the vast majority of people out there watching the show today will know nothing about this disease.
“And if please do a little bit of research and see how nasty this is to the sufferers and the impact it has on the families.
“And if you can get involved, please get involved.
“And I just hope that it properly punched me on the nose when I first witnessed a sufferer.
“You’d have to be some special human being if you were to meet Isla or any other poor children who are sufferers, not to be moved by it.
“And I just plead with anyone who can do a bit for us, whether it’s a super rich man that takes us on board and says, this is something I’m going to go after and help these poor kids, because we must bring relief to them. Every single day is a chore.
“Every single moment they’re awake, they’re in pain.
“If it’s not, they’re actually in pain.
“When they have their dressings changed, they have these serious, serious struggles to take the pain away. And she’s just an absolute hero. You’re just.”
‘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
Former Liverpool footballer Graeme Souness is swapping being a TV pundit to swim the English Channel.
The 70 year old told #BBCBreakfast he’s doing it for the charity DEBRA which supports people living with Epidemolysis Bullosa pic.twitter.com/nXoL0aazZA
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 22, 2023
This is how viewers reacted as Graeme Souness reveals in an emotional interview he’s to take on new challenge for charity…
@Cowboystew6969: Great work by souness here
@JkJohnk63: We all go through things but my god when you see things like that it puts into perspective 👏👏
@CBR994: Well done Graeme Souness 👌🙏
@VP00123: Good luck to him. Graeme you are doing a noble job
@A_GymGuy: I remember when Souness did the first interview around this a while back to raise awareness. Top man.
@tonymac5: Blimey, respect. He’s had serious heart issues in the past as well.
@B0LT0NBEAR: Football rivalries aside, well done Graeme.
@Luke_Vials: Graeme Souness is a wonderful man. Say what you want about his football opinions but he’s an exceptional human being.
@Bartley_08: What a legend
@hughezo: Isla, what a brave young lady you are and hats off to Graeme Souness….. beautiful ❤️
@Brookylad78: Top man Graeme!
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