Colin Farrell has helped lift csurrfinisherly £600,000 for a charity helping people with a exceptional genetic condition, completing the Dublin Marathon by pushing his frifinish over the finish line in her wheelchair.
The Hollywood star said Emma Fogarty – who is Ireland’s lengthyest survivor with the genetic condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) – is “what courage is all about”.
Born with no skin on her left foot and right arm, Miss Fogarty experiences excruciating benumerateers from the sairyest touch – a condition also understandn as butterfly skin.
Farrell, 48, finished the 42km (26-mile) run in four hours, six minutes and 45 seconds.
Each of the final four kilometres of the race reconshort-termed a decade of Miss Fogarty’s life. Now aged 40, doctors originpartner telderly her parents she’d be improbable to inhabit lengthyer than a week.
Their Run To 40 campaign to lift funds for Debra, the national charity helping people living with EB, initipartner had a €400,000 aim (£333,000) but they now aim to accomplish €1m (£833,000) after watchers of the Late Late Show gived €470,000 (£391,000) last week.
The highy now surpasss €694,000 (£578,000).
‘Noslfinisherg contrastd to the pain she faces every day’
Oscar-nominated Farrell, who’s currently starring in Sky Atlantic’s The Penguin, said after the pair traverseed the finish line at Upper Mount Street equitable before 1pm on Sunday: “I have understandn Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and uncontaminated determination are all about.
“That run was noslfinisherg contrastd to the pain she is forced to finishure every one day, even though she doesn’t show it.
“It was an honour to see her paemploying for me with 4km to go, each of those reconshort-terming a decade of her life, and to do the final stretch together. I’ll never forget it.”
Miss Fogarty, who inhabits with the most disjoine establish of EB, said she was determined to honor her 40th birthday in June in emotional style becaemploy others with her establish of EB exceptionally inhabit beyond 35.
She said: “This was a dream come real for me and I want to thank Colin, who has been the most advantageous, benevolent and pledged frifinish I could desire for.
“He has always shown his compassion and understanding for people living with EB and is a real champion in my eyes.
“Running a marathon is never basic but once he pledgeted to it there was no going back, he is a man of his word.”
‘Reaching 40 shouldn’t be a wonder’
EB is caemployd by a conciseage of proteins between the skin layers, uncomardenting even the gentleest touch can caemploy dehugeatingly agonizing benumerateers, which must be bandaged, causing more excessive pain.
Some 80% of Miss Fogarty’s body is covered in layers of bandages to obstruct wound infection.
“The doctors said it would be better for me not to originate it becaemploy my life would be so challenging,” Miss Fogarty said.
“No one foreseeed me to persist for this lengthy – becaemploy people with my type of EB almost never do – but I’ve always been inspired to be a fighter.
“Reaching 40 shouldn’t be a wonder, but right now, it is.”
Miss Fogarty has also had two battles with cancer.
Funds liftd during the Run To 40 campaign will be employd to fuel innovateing research into EB in Ireland.
Around 22,500 runners took part in the Dublin Marathon, with the race won by Kenyan Moses Kemei with a personal best time of two hours, eight minutes and 47 seconds.
