WATCH: Hollywood star Colin Farrell gives Christmas boost to Laois woman's story

Hollywood actor Colin Farrell has urged people to buy the inspirational story of Abbeyleix woman Emma Fogarty as a Christmas gift.

The award-winning actor, who wrote the foreword to Being Emma Living My Best Life with Butterfly Skin, made a public appeal by video to encourage people to buy and read the book about his friend's life with the debilitating skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

The pair have made numerous public appearances together as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the condition and funds for research into the incurable life-limiting disease.

In 2024, the Abbeyleix woman took part in the Dublin Marathon alongside her close friend Colin Farrell to mark her 40th birthday. Their effort  raised almost €1 million for DEBRA Ireland, of which Emma is an ambassador. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Colin and Emma complete the final stages of the Dublin Marathon in 2024. Pic: Sportsfile

"Emma is one of the greatest teachers we have and if the reader can feel even an ounce of the wonder, the sorrow, the strength and hope that I have felt in knowing her, then they will walk away with a life enriched for the time spent in the company of this amazing woman," wrote Colin in the book's foreword.

EB, commonly known as butterfly skin, is an extremely rare and excruciatingly painful condition that affects 1 in 50,000 people globally. For sufferers such as Emma Fogarty, it makes their skin as fragile as a butterfly’s wing.

READ ALSO: Emma delivers €1 million to Debra Ireland

When Emma was born with EB she was not expected to survive infancy. Today, she is the oldest living Irish person with the condition.

However, she can no longer walk, and she lost the use of her fingers when they fused together. Her bandages need to be changed every two days, an agonising process which takes hours. 

She spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live about her one wish as she approached her milestone 40th. MORE BELOW PIC.

"I want everyone with EB in Ireland to live the life they deserve to live.

"EB is so cruel but I truly believe no one is better placed than Debra to fight for a better future. The charity is like a family. Being connected to Debra makes me feel safe, because no matter how tough life gets, Debra is there."