GRAEME SOUNESS left ITV pundits laughing as he joked that his wife showed “concern” when he was swimming the English channel.
The former Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend took up the challenge to raise money for the charity DEBRA to help people who suffer from the rare skin disease Epidermolysis bullosa.
Souness, 70, decided to try and raise £1.1million to aid the fight against disease after meeting 14-year-old Isla Grist, who suffers from the condition.
While being interviewed about the swim by ITV’s Ed Chamberlain, Souness was told that his wife had said that she was relieved he completed the challenge and was safe.
To which he hilariously responded: “For the first time in our 30 years together, my wife was showing concern!”
Chamberlain could help but have a laugh at the Scot’s quick joke.
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While speaking about the cause, Souness’ passion was evident as he remained determined to raise awareness about the disease and its impact on those affected.
He said: “Isla is such a special little lady, you have to meet her to appreciate that, and the cause is fantastic.
“We’ve managed to raise lots of money, we would never be able to raise enough money for this terrible disease because, never mind a cure, we can’t even offer relief at this time.
“We can never raise enough money but what we’ve done this time round is raise awareness.
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“So many people, and I bet you’re one [He said to Chamberlain] of them, that had never heard of Epidermolysis bullosa.
“All I can say is it’s the worst thing I’ve ever witnessed.
“It’s truly horrendous, the poor sufferers never get a minutes relief from it, every waking day is an unbelievably difficult day for them and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
“And that’s why we have to find, firstly, giving these poor children relief from the constant edge and the constant pain.
“And also, please God, please God, very soon we find a cure for it.”
Souness’ efforts saw many people donate to the cause, including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The donation from the Old Trafford icon caused Souness to break down in tears.
He told talkSPORT: “I hope I don’t embarrass him by saying this, but Alex Ferguson donated £20,000 after he quizzed me on it for half an hour.
“He’s got a heart of gold, that man. You have to search for it, but it’s there!”
What is Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)?
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as ‘butterfly skin’ is the name for a group of rare inherited skin disorders that cause the skin to become very fragile.
Any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters.
The main symptoms of all types of EB include:
- skin that blisters easily
- blisters inside the mouth
- blisters on the hands and soles of the feet
- scarred skin, sometimes with small white spots called milia
- thickened skin and nails
The 3 main types of EB are:
- epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) – the most common type, which tends to be milder with a low risk of serious complications
- dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) – which can range from mild to severe
- junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) – the rarest and most severe type
The type reflects where on the body the blistering takes place and which layer of skin is affected.
There are also many variants of these 3 main types of EB, each with slightly different symptoms.
Source: NHS
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
