After 9 months of training, on Sunday 18th June, Graeme Souness, Andy Grist and the rest of the swim team made it to the shores of France and completed their English Channel swim in a speedy 12 hours 17 minutes!

The swim generated fantastic awareness of EB and raised over £1.3 million towards our A Life Free of Pain appeal.

Sponsor Graeme's swim

From the time I have spent with Isla and her family, I have seen first-hand the extreme pain this devastating condition causes and the daily challenges it creates. I wanted to do something that could make a difference to Isla’s life and to the lives of so many others living with EB, and the slightly crazy idea of swimming the English Channel was suggested.

Now I’m not one to walk away from a challenge, but this is all new to me; despite living by the sea for the past 16 years, I’ve never been in it, and so this will certainly be the most difficult challenge I’ve ever taken on. I am determined to complete the swim, though. Alongside Isla’s dad, Andy, and the rest of the team, we will complete the challenge and in doing so raise awareness of EB and support to find the treatments that are so desperately needed.

Please join me in supporting DEBRA's A Life Free of Pain appeal. You don’t have to join me in swimming the channel, but just one small action from you could be a game-changer for people like Isla, living with EB.

We don’t expect everyone to take on a challenge quite as extreme as Graeme’s swim, but there is an opportunity for you to play your part, as every small action from you will take us a step closer to a life free of pain for people with EB.

Here are some ideas of how you can make a real difference to the EB community:

• Sponsor Graeme and the team's English Channel swim.
• Set up your own fundraising challenge, whether that’s a sponsored cake bake or climbing Mount Everest, every pound raised makes a huge difference to people living with EB.
• Donate your pre-loved items, volunteer, or shop at your local DEBRA store.
• Join a DEBRA event.
• Leave a gift to DEBRA in your Will with our free Will service.
• Join the DEBRA weekly lottery and stand a chance of winning £25,000 every week.

Every action from you will make a difference, please join us, and play your part in stopping the pain of EB.

Thank you.