A South Dublin woman was victorious in braving one of Ireland’s toughest mountain races to help raise money for people battling the rare and very painful skin condition EB, also known as butterfly skin.
Niamh Garvey, Terenure, won the tenth annual DEBRA Ireland Wicklow Mountains Challenge half marathon.
Niamh Garvey, Terenure, who won the women’s tenth annual DEBRA Ireland Wicklow Mountains Challenge half marathon. 400 runners braved one of the toughest mountain races in Ireland to raise money and awareness for families living with the rare painful skin condition EB (epidermolysis bullosa) or butterfly skin. See www.debraireland.org for more information. Pic: Richard Sheehy.
Other South Dublin athletes amongst those battling the Wicklow Mountains Challenge, were Catherine Pike, Dalkey, David Kavanagh, Blackrock, David Reddy, Booterstown and Justin Higgins, Stepaside.
Debra Ireland supports people living with EB (epidermolysis bullosa), an incredibly painful skin condition that causes the skin layers and internal body linings to blister and wound at the slightest touch.
David Kavanagh, Blackrock, who took part in the tenth annual DEBRA Ireland Wicklow Mountains Challenge half marathon. Pic: Brian Reilly-Troy.
The event attracts everyone from triathletes in the half marathon to those who have never run an off-road race before with many wearing an EB butterfly tattoo on their faces in support of patients living with this condition.
EB is a distressing and painful genetic skin condition causing the skin layers and internal body linings to separate and blister at the slightest touch.
Catherine Pike, Dalkey, who took part in the tenth annual DEBRA Ireland Wicklow Mountains Challenge half marathon. Pic: Brian Reilly-Troy.
It affects approximately 1 in 18,000 babies born and can range from mild to severe. Severe forms can be fatal in infancy or lead to dramatically reduced life expectancy, due to a range of complications from the disease.
Patients need wound care and bandaging for up to several hours a day and the condition tends to become increasingly debilitating and disfiguring over time.
Adult patients with severe forms are also extremely susceptible to an aggressive form of skin cancer. There are currently no treatments or cure for EB.
For more information see www.debraireland.org or text BUTTERFLY to 50300 to donate €4 to Debra Ireland.
Justin Higgins, Stepaside, who took part in the tenth annual DEBRA Ireland Wick low Mountains Challenge half marathon. Pic: Brian Reilly-Troy.