HOLLYWOOD star Colin Farrell has praised his ‘inspiring’ friend who has battled her whole life with an excruciating, incurable skin condition.
Emma Fogarty, 34, was born with Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and was given just one week to live.
However she pulled through and has continued to defy the odds by going on to study, work and learn to drive.
That’s despite her fingers gradually fusing together and enduring four-and-a-half hours of painful bandaging every other day to cover open wounds.
More than 80 per cent of her body is covered with wounds comparable to third degree burns.
Farrell, who first met Emma eight years ago, joined her on The Late Late Show to help raise awareness of the disease.
'Her spirit is incredible'
“It’s an incredibly rare condition but it’s one that has a kind of particular cruelty to it that I couldn’t imagine living through,” he told host Ryan Tubridy.
“Her spirit is incredible,” he added.
Emma, who is an ambassador for EB charity DEBRA Ireland, revealed that despite being in constant pain, she is determined to live life to the full.
“You can sit in the corner and dwell on your problems but I was given a life,” she told Tubridy, “and I’m determined to live it to the fullest and to the best of my ability.”
'Most amazing person'
Farrell is now helping Emma raise €60,000 for DEBRA Ireland to fund four full-time carers to help with the bandage changing of Ireland’s EB patients.
One in 18,000 babies born in Ireland are affected by the condition.
“You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met,” Farrell told Emma. “You’re really just so inspiring.”
People in Ireland can text BUTTERFLY to 50300 to donate €4 to DEBRA Ireland.
Further donation options are available on the DEBRA Ireland website.
