Craig Hamilton is gearing up for an extraordinary challenge on May 18th, as he sets out to walk the entire 84-mile length of Hadrian's Wall. But what sets Craig's journey apart is his decision to tackle this ancient route barefoot, all in support of DEBRA UK and those living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB).

Inspired by his 10-year-old nephew, Harry, who bravely faces the daily struggles of EB simplex, Craig is determined to raise both funds and awareness for this debilitating condition.

I don’t use the word “suffer” lightly. Harry is an unbelievably brave boy who battles this debilitating and incurable disease on a daily basis. These aren’t “I’ve got a new pair of trainers” blisters. Harry’s mam needs to drain and dress them daily to ensure they don’t get infected.

While most kids are getting dressed for school, Harry has already undergone a painful session of blister draining. Although he’s tried to battle on through the pain (so he doesn’t appear different to the other kids) he now needs the help of his wheelchair to get around school most days and is on heavy painkillers to get through a normal school day.

The DEBRA charity have been so supportive to my sister and Harry and I desperately want to give something back.

With each step along Hadrian's Wall, Craig hopes to shed light on the realities of living with EB and provide support to families living with the condition.

Craig has already raised over £7,000 for DEBRA, which will go towards our BE The Difference for EB appeal – aiming to provide enhanced EB care and support for EB families today, and effective drug treatments for all types of EB for tomorrow.

As Craig prepares to embark on this inspiring journey, we'd like to extend our gratitude and wish him the best of luck. You can follow Craig's journey on his LinkedIn.

 

Support Craig's fundraiser