‘A true champion’: Colin Farrell runs marathon in effort to raise €1 million to support those with EB

Colin Farrell ran the Dublin Marathon, pushing his friend in a wheelchair to raise €1 million to assist those who suffer from her rare condition. They are close to reaching their goal.
Farrell’s efforts support Debra, a charity that helps people with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a painful condition known as “butterfly skin.”
According to Debra’s website, EB causes the skin to become extremely fragile, like a butterfly’s wing. Even minor injuries can cause breaks, tears and blisters across the body.
Emma Fogarty, a friend of Farrell’s, has lived with EB her entire life, and Farrell ran the race to bring awareness to her struggle.
A video posted to X shows the moment they completed the race together, with Farrell embracing Fogarty and asking, “Should we go again?”
The movie star, who plays the titular Batman villain in HBO’s “The Penguin” series, recently appeared on Ireland’s “The Late Late Show” to discuss his decision to run with Fogarty.
In a clip of the interview posted to Instagram, he explained that he would push Fogarty in her wheelchair for the last four kilometers of the marathon. Each kilometer represented a decade that Fogarty has lived with EB, with the race celebrating her 40th birthday.
“And I trust no one, apart from family, more than you to push me that last 4k,” Fogarty told Farrell during the interview.
According to Sky News, Fogarty is the oldest person in Ireland to have survived with EB. Born with the condition, she had no skin on her left foot or right arm at birth, and doctors told her parents she might not live beyond a week.
Farrell completed the 26.2-mile race in a little over four hours, pushing Fogarty for the final four kilometers (two and a half miles).
Debra’s initial fundraising goal was €400,000 (about $430,000), per their website. After surpassing that goal, they raised it to €1 million, with donations currently at €810,000 (about $875,000).
“I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and pure determination are all about,” Farrell told reporters after the race, per CNN.
“That run was nothing compared to the pain she is forced to endure every single day, even though she doesn’t show it,” he continued. “It was an honor to see her waiting for me with 4km to go, each of those representing a decade of her life, and to do the final stretch together. I’ll never forget it.”
Fogarty expressed her appreciation for Farrell’s efforts, telling reporters, “This was a dream come true for me and I want to thank Colin, who has been the most supportive, generous and loyal friend I could wish for.”
“He has always shown his compassion and empathy for people living with EB and is a true champion in my eyes,” she added.
Farrell is no stranger to the challenges of living with a genetic condition. He recently established the Colin Farrell Foundation to support people like his adult son, James, who was born with Angelman syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic disorder, per the foundation’s website.