VIDEO: Colin Farrell runs marathon with friend suffering from rare condition
The Academy-award nominated actor took time out of his schedule to help a friend.
The Dublin Marathon took place on October 27th.
While many runners were hoping to achieve the goals they had set for themselves, one runner was hoping to make a different kind of impact.
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Athletes in these competitions will often announce that they are running for a good cause, hoping to raise money for charity or raise awareness for a specific cause.
Hollywood actor Colin Farrell had decided he wanted to do the same thing.
The actor has only recently opened up about his disabled son in a very emotional interview.
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During this interview, he also announced the launch of The Colin Farrell Foundation, an organisation that aims to help adult children with intellectual disabilities who need support through education, innovative programmes, and advocacy.
This is all inspired by his son.
The Irish actor returned to his home country to accompany an old friend during the Dublin Marathon.
Emma Fogarty lives with a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa (EB), which is an incurable genetic condition.
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Epidermolysis bullosa "is a group of rare diseases that cause the skin to be fragile and to blister easily. Tears, sores, and blisters in the skin happen when something rubs or bumps the skin. They can appear anywhere on the body."
That is why it is also commonly called 'butterfly skin'.
Farrell and Fogarty ran the marathon, hoping to raise funds for DEBRA, an Irish charity that supports people with this condition.
The two friends completed the last 4km of the race and crossed the finish line together.
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You can watch the beautifully emotional moment here:
Colin Farrell crossed the Dublin Marathon finish line in just over four hours, pushing his friend Emma Fogarty , who suffers from a rare skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), in a wheelchair for the last 4km of the race.
— Colin Farrell Updates💚🤍🧡 (@CFarrellUpdates) October 27, 2024
October 27, 2024#ColinFarrell pic.twitter.com/KkztlHH5pW
He also expressed his admiration for Emma and thanked those who supported them along the way:
Colin Farrell has shared his appreciation for the ‘incredible support’ he received as he ran the Dublin City Marathon with his close friend Emma Fogarty #DublinCityMarathon pic.twitter.com/Wd7R9AApNA
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 27, 2024
According to CNN, Fogarty is the oldest surviving person with EB as she turned 40 in June 2024.
She thought she would never reach this milestone, which led her to wanting to make this pledge with Farrell.
I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and pure determination are all about. That run was nothing compared to the pain she is forced to endure every single day, even though she doesn’t show it. It was an honour 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 also spoke fondly of her marathon partner:
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. Running a marathon is never easy but once he committed to it there was no going back, he is a man of his word.
The team set out to raise €400,000 (approximately R7.6-million) for the charity, but have upped their goal to €1-million and they only have 16% left to go.
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Main image courtesy of @CFarrellUpdates/X