Rangers legend Graeme Souness raises £350k after pledging to swim English Channel in aid of Scots girl

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scottish footballing legend Graeme Souness has raised nearly £350,000 in just two days after announcing he is to swim the English Channel in aid of a Scots schoolgirl.

The former Rangers and ­Liverpool star, 70, has become close to 14-year-old epidermolysis bullosa (EB) sufferer Isla Grist and her family, who live on the Black Isle near Inverness.EB, also known as “butterfly skin”, is a painful, incurable skin condition that causes blisters and tears from any trauma or friction to the skin.Souness became a campaigner for EB patients after learning about the illness at a charity dinner five years ago.The 70-year-old pundit, now vice-president of the charity DEBRA, which supports people living with the condition, will attempt to raise £1.1million when he takes on the swimming challenge on June 18.It is estimated the 21-mile swim between Dover and Calais could take up to 16 hours and the target is symbolic of his old number 11 jersey.Donations have flooded in since he made a tearful appearance on BBC Breakfast on Monday to reveal his challenge.

He has so far raised £346,600.Money raised from his swim will go to DEBRA to clinically test drugs already available within the NHS that could radically improve quality of life for people living with EB. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here. First pictures released of 'best friends' killed in horror crash as loved ones pay tribute Ex-Celtic star Paddy McCourt's alleged victim 'felt someone put hand up her dress' court hears 'It's not my problem' - man refuses to swap seats on plane, so mum can sit with kid Brother of Rolf Harris's youngest victim sorry she did not live to see him die in prison