Rugby ace Johnny Sexton offers to run 36km Debra challenge in place of pal Emma
Rugby star Johnny Sexton offered to run a 36km challenge for a woman with a rare skin disease rather than have her endure the excruciating pain of doing it.
Sexton told Ray D’Arcy on his RTÉ Radio 1 show this afternoon that he was very conscious of the pain Emma Fogarty’s assisted walk challenge would inflict on her in her efforts to raise funds for Debra Ireland.
Sexton has been joined by Hollywood actor Colin Farrell in backing Laois woman Emma who is celebrating her 36th birthday by completing an incredibly painful 36 km assisted walk over the course of this month.
Emma was born with EB (epidermolysis bullosa), also known as butterfly skin, which causes the skin layers and internal body linings to blister and wound at the slightest touch.
At present, 80% of Emma’s body is covered in open wounds and is bandaged every second day. Following a health setback last year, she now uses a wheelchair.
So far her challenge has raised over €52,000, and she is now aiming to bring to total to €72,000.
“I said to her ‘would you not just let me and Colin Farrell and Ray D’Arcy do the 36kms, or even do them on a bike?’ but she was adamant that she wanted to do it,” Johnny told the radio presenter.
“I know people might listen to this and think 36 km is not a lot, but with this disease, Emma is hurting every time she hits a bump on the road, not to mention the pain of just getting into the wheelchair with all the bandage changes and hours of preparation.
“She is going to raise some great funds for a fantastic charity and the money is being put to great use, and ultimately that is what it is all about.
“When I first met Emma I was just starting out on my rugby career, so I did not have any big profile to add to the charity.
“Then things started to grow and I just started to enjoy helping out and getting to know Emma.
“When you meet these people and you see the constant pain that they are in, it is something that you just want to help out with.
“Debra Ireland is the charity I work most closely with and I will try to do everything I can for them for as long as I am still a rugby player, and beyond hopefully.” Debra Ireland provides patient support services and drives research into treatments and cures for those with the condition.
“The pain I endure, all the time, whether I’m sitting in a chair or lying in bed, is considerable, and I am on a huge amount of medication,” said Emma, from Abbeyleix in Co Laois.
“But I'm not going to let that beat me. My birthday is next Thursday June 25, and to mark it, I’m embarking on this challenge to prove a point.
“For people with EB, 36 is old and to get to this age is a privilege that is denied to many.
“I had a hard year. I had life-changing surgery and I will never take a step again, so the amazing Georgina Herlihy, my assistant, is going to push me all the way.
“My test isn't the endurance test, it is to see if I can endure the ramps, the bumps, the potholes – even a pebble on the road.
“Debra Ireland is an amazing charity. I am so lucky to have them, because without them we wouldn't be able to get nurses or research funding resources, and they deserve all the help they can get.” To donate seehere
