Colin Farrell to Run Dublin Marathon to Support Friend With Rare Skin Condition

Colin Farrell attends HBO's "The Penguin" New York Premiere on Sept. 17, 2024. Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Irish actor Colin Farrell is gearing up to run the Dublin Marathon to raise awareness and donations for a good cause.

Farrell, 48, will tackle the 26-mile course on Oct. 27 in honor of his longtime friend, Emma Fogarty.

Fogarty, who recently turned 40 in June, is Ireland’s oldest survivor of epidermolysis bullosa (EB)—a rare genetic medical condition that causes the skin to tear or blister easily.

Farrell and Fogarty—who have been friends for the past 14 years—are currently raising money for their fundraising campaign “Run to 40,” which aims to support the Dublin-based charity Debra Ireland.

The duo spoke about the initiative and their upcoming race during a recent appearance on “The Late Late Show,” aired Oct. 18.

“I wanted to mark my birthday with [Colin], so I said what’s the better way than to cross the finish line together,” explained Fogarty, who plans to join Farrell during the last few kilometers of the race.

“Emma’s lived with EB now for four decades,” Farrell told Patrick Kielty, the show’s host. “So for every decade of living with EB and surviving EB, we’re doing 1 [kilometer]. I’m gonna push Emma [in her wheelchair] the last 4 k[ilometers].”

Fogarty acknowledged that for those accustomed to running, four kilometers may not sound particularly daunting.

However, due to her condition, which has caused her fingers to fuse together and left her unable to walk, Fogarty said the distance will take a tremendous toll on her body.

“For me, that’s going to be a long journey,” she said. “I will definitely have wounds at the end of it and be in a lot of pain.”

Living With EB

According to Stanford Medicine, there are three main forms of EB, which develop due to different genetic mutations. EB simplex (EBS) is the most prevalent and least severe form of epidermolysis bullosa, whereas junctional EB (JEB) and dystrophic EB (DEB) are less common and exhibit more severe symptoms.

Fogarty was born with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a type of DEB—the most severe form of EB. The Ireland native has wounds similar to third-degree burns over 80 percent of her body. As a result, she must constantly wear bandages, which take hours to apply.

Fogarty was also forced to have her left leg amputated below the knee in November 2019 after being diagnosed with skin cancer, a common complication of EB.

Speaking to Kielty, Fogarty said her pain is both excruciating and unrelenting.

“It’s known as butterfly skin, and it means that my skin is as fragile as the wings of a butterfly basically,” she explained. “So if I bumped off you, it'll literally tear off a blister.”

According to Debra Ireland, people living with EB generally don’t survive beyond the age of 35. Fogarty is the third person living with her condition to make it to the age of 40.

“It’s that bittersweet moment of like, ‘Oh my God, it’s amazing,’ but it shouldn’t be amazing in the same sense,” Fogarty said during a recent appearance on the morning show Ireland AM.

“It’s 40, you know, you expect to reach 40 when you’re younger but not everyone does,” she added. “So it’s amazing.”

Raising Funds for a Cure

There is currently no cure for epidermolysis bullosa. However, some treatments can help improve the quality of life for someone suffering from the condition by making the symptoms more manageable.

Through their “Run to 40” campaign, Fogarty and Farrell have set out to raise 400,000 euro for Debra Ireland, an organization dedicated to advancing research into effective treatments and cures for all forms of epidermolysis bullosa, per the charity’s website.

After being featured on “The Late Late Show,” the duo exceeded their target, amassing nearly €600,000 as of Oct. 21.

“We’re blown away by all the support for @emmafogarty, Colin Farrell and everyone impacted by epidermolysis bullosa (EB) after last night’s @latelaterte,” the organization wrote on Instagram. “We can’t thank the Irish public enough for your generosity.”

During his segment on the Irish talk show, Farrell praised Fogarty for her unwavering positivity, despite the significant challenges she has encountered due to her “uncommonly cruel” condition.

“I’m like most human beings, I moan about this and that and the other,” the actor shared. “And what Emma deals with every day of her life is extraordinary.”

“She’s just one of the most extraordinary human beings I’ve ever met and her spirit and her sense of humor and her kindness and her joy for life [is] astonishing,” he said.