Emma, a patient ambassador for DEBRA Ireland, is embarking on a 36km walk in her wheelchair to raise funds for the charity
Emma Fogarty is familiar to most Irish people, thanks to her amazing work raising funds and awareness for a vital Irish charity. As a longtime patient ambassador for DEBRA Ireland, she puts a face on the disease EB, which means her skin is as fragile as the wings of a butterfly. 80% of her body is covered in wounds, and she lives in constant pain.
DEBRA Ireland is the only charity in Ireland supporting people living with EB, providing nurses, funding and resources.
To mark her 36th birthday, Emma has decided to embark on a 36km assisted walk in her wheelchair, in the hopes of raising funds for the charity.
“With the help of the amazing Georgina Herlihy, I am going to walk 36kms in my wheelchair. Although I can’t walk, the challenge for me will be an endurance test of pain. Can I endure the ramps, the bumps, the potholes, a pebble on the road. Will I be able to get through the 36kms with all the pain I have? I really hope so!” Emma says on the fundraising page.
“This past year has been my toughest yet. I had life-saving surgery that has changed my life forever and I will never take a step again. It hasn’t been an easy start to 2020,” she says.
“I guarantee you I will finish this challenge with more wounds than when I started, but this challenge is so important to me. I want to show people (and myself) that life is for living and nothing is going to stop me achieving my goal.”
Donate to Emma’s 36 Challenge on Just Giving here.
Colin Farrell met Emma ten years ago and is helping to raise awareness of her ambitous fundraising challenge.
Watch an interview with Emma and Colin on The Late Late Show here:
