Graeme Souness highlights rare skin condition on national television
Graeme Souness spoke candidly about a condition he described as “as bad as it gets” while raising awareness for epidermolysis bullosa (EB) alongside a 13-year-old girl who lives with the disease, reports BritPanorama.
The former Liverpool and Scotland captain appeared on Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, advocating for families affected by this rare genetic skin disorder that causes severe blistering and pain. Souness, now a prominent campaigner through the charity DEBRA, aims to improve public understanding of EB.
During the segment, Souness sat next to Jasmine Ritchie, whose hands were bandaged, and her mother, Anna, who had recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for research. The discussion took an emotional turn when Souness detailed the challenges faced by those living with EB. “There’s lots of terrible, terrible conditions and diseases out there but I believe EB is as bad as it gets,” he stated. “Jasmine’s born with this condition and I believe every day of her life is an uphill struggle,” he added, noting the relentless physical discomfort.
As Souness recounted a moment before the broadcast when Jasmine’s mother became visibly upset, he reflected on the resilience of children living with EB. “Her hair looks beautiful today,” he noted, but acknowledged the oversight regarding her injuries. “I was standing next to Anna and she burst into tears. I thought, ‘What’s happened?’ But Jasmine didn’t complain,” he said, visibly moved.
“I come from a world of winners and people who never back off anything. But on a scale of courage and being a winner, footballers are a one out of 10. These young people are a 10 out of 10,” Souness remarked, highlighting the extraordinary bravery of children confronting this condition daily.
Commonly referred to as “butterfly skin,” EB makes the skin extraordinarily fragile, resulting in severe damage from minimal friction. Activities such as walking or dressing can evoke intense pain, necessitating frequent application of dressings and pain management strategies. This latest television appearance follows Souness’s previous advocacy for other young individuals facing EB, including Scottish teenager Isla Grist, whom he described as enduring “the cruellest” illness he had ever encountered.
As vice president of DEBRA, Souness continues to play a vital role in raising funds for research and care, with his fundraising endeavors including two swims across the English Channel, which collectively raised over £1.5 million. He concluded his appearance by calling for increased government support for EB treatment and research, emphasizing the urgency of funding improvements for families affected by this challenging condition.
In a world where the challenges of everyday life can seem small, Souness reminds us of the profound battles that some must engage in just to experience a semblance of normalcy, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit amid adversity.
