A remarkable friendship between an Irish woman living with a devastating skin condition and Hollywood star Colin Farrell has captured hearts and raised nearly €1 million for charity. Emma Fogarty, 41, who has the most severe form of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), has defied a prognosis that she wouldn't survive a week to become one of the world's oldest survivors.
A friendship forged in a Dublin charity event
The pair first met in 2010 at a charity function. Farrell greeted her with a casual 'Howyah' before immediately showing practical care, staring down a waiter to secure plain mashed potatoes for Emma after her meal arrived with raw onions. EB scarring constricts her throat, making swallowing difficult. That simple, protective act planted the seed for an incredibly close bond.
"We sat down beside each other, and we just felt like we'd known each other 100 years," Emma Fogarty, from County Laois, tells The Independent. The friendship blossomed through regular texts and visits, with Farrell joining her family for tea when in Ireland. "He can trust me - that's the truth - and I can trust him. That is sacred to me," she writes in her new memoir, Being Emma, for which Farrell wrote the foreword.
Defying a devastating diagnosis
Epidermolysis Bullosa is an excruciatingly painful and rare genetic disorder where skin blisters and tears at the slightest touch, akin to third-degree burns. Only one in 50,000 people worldwide are affected. Emma's body is at least 80% covered in wounds at all times, requiring near full-body bandaging. Her fingers are fused together, and she uses a wheelchair after her left leg was amputated in 2019 following a cancer diagnosis common in EB patients.
Despite the constant pain she describes as present "90 if not 99 percent of the day," Emma has lived a full life. She finished college, worked at a Dublin bank, and lived independently for years. Her greatest defiance, Farrell notes in her book, "is her insistence on living a full and meaningful life."
The Dublin Marathon and a global legacy
The friendship took a public turn in 2024 when Colin Farrell ran the Dublin Marathon to raise funds for Debra Ireland, the EB charity where he is a patron and Emma is a spokeswoman. In a powerful gesture, he pushed Emma in her wheelchair for the final 4km—one kilometre for each decade of her life. The poignant images went global.
Though the jostling caused her significant injury due to her fragile skin, Emma cherished the experience. The effort raised nearly €1 million. The publicity led to a book deal, with Emma now using her memoir to educate the world about EB and offer hope. "I want [people] to take away that if they're determined enough... you can do anything in the world," she says.
Farrell's support has been unwavering, from pulling her out of the depression following her amputation to now promoting her book. The actor, whose own son lives with the rare Angelman's syndrome, understands the world of disability. Emma believes her mission, alongside her family and Farrell's friendship, has helped her reach an age many with EB never see. She continues to advocate for better research, funding, and support, declaring: "We still need to keep fighting."
