Renowned Liverpool icon Graeme Souness found himself close to tears this morning as he lent his voice to support a young girl grappling with a severe illness often described as one of the most challenging.

Making an appearance on Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, the Scottish football legend discussed epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a painful skin condition. Souness has initiated a charity named DEBRA to aid those affected.

Beside Souness sat 13-year-old Jasmine Ritchie, who bravely faces this condition, which causes her skin to blister and tear with even the slightest touch. Her mother, seated alongside her, recently completed a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for individuals battling this harrowing disease.

“Jasmine was born with this condition, and each day presents a daunting challenge. It’s like living a constant Groundhog Day of pain and itching, with no relief,” Souness shared.

Fighting back tears, the 72-year-old remarked, “Jasmine’s hair looks lovely today, but during makeup, her mom Anna forgot to mention the wounds on her head. When Anna burst into tears, I stood by her side, wondering what had happened, but Jasmine remained stoic and didn’t utter a word of complaint.”

Graeme Souness was on the verge of tears this morning while discussing epidermolysis bullosa on Good Morning Britain

13-year-old Jasmine lives with the horrific condition which causes her skin to itch and blister at the slightest inconvenience

‘I was standing next to Anna (Jasmine’s mum) and she burst into tears. I thought, “what’s happened?” But Jasmine didn’t complain. 

‘I’ve been on here before with another child suffering with the same disease. I come from a world of winners and people who never back off anything. But on a scale of courage and being a winner, footballers are a one out of 10. These young people are a 10 out of 10.’

Those who suffer with EB, also know as butterfly disease, have skin so thin that even the tiniest impact could be life-altering. 

It means they live in almost constant agony when walking, showering, eating or getting dressed because simple activities can rip their skin. 

This morning’s appearance was not Souness’s first on GMB discussing the terrible disease however. Two years ago he went on the show to support a young Scottish girl named Isla Grist. 

And writing a couple of days later in Daily Mail Sport, Souness described EB as ‘the cruellest’ condition he’s ever seen. 

‘When we appeared on BBC Breakfast, discussing the skin condition which makes every day a huge challenge for her, she said in a matter-of-fact way that there were “other people with challenges too”. Typical Isla. Always making light of the cards she’s been dealt and the difficulty of getting through every day,’ the former Rangers midfielder wrote. 

‘She’s 14 and has Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a life-threatening skin condition also known as ‘butterfly skin’, which causes her body to blister and tear. It means hours of applying creams and, three to four times a week, the pain of changing her dressings. 

Souness has previously appeared on GMB alongside Isla Grist, another young girl suffering with the condition

Souness has so far raised millions in support of EB for his charity DEBRA. In 2023, he swam the English Channel to help raise funds

‘I can say this without any doubt at all: I’ve never witnessed a crueller condition. I’m a vice-president of the charity Debra, which is raising awareness of the condition and fundraising — and which will soon be lobbying the Government for help.

‘I’m sad to say that we currently have no Government help for the children who are suffering with this condition.

‘It’s also been my privilege to meet Isla’s mother and father, Rachael and Andy, at their home in Inverness. There are times when Andy and I talk, as two fathers, and my heart breaks for him, carrying that desperation for a way to make his daughter’s life that bit better.

‘I had quite a serious operation 30 years ago, and yet have been able to enjoy exactly the same quality of life that I had before it. But for people like Isla, the quality of life is miserable.

‘She’s living with a recessive disease, which means she must take a cocktail of the strongest of drugs — Diamorphine, Fentanyl and Ketamine — on a daily basis to try to get some pain relief.’

Souness has so far raised millions in support of EB through his charity DEBRA.

He’s completed multiple challenges to help fundraise, including two 21-mile swims across the English channel. His first crossing, in 2023, saw Souness raise more than £1.5million for those living with the disease.