Heartbreaking pictures have shown former rugby league star Rob Burrow being carried around his house and fed by his wife Lindsey – as she refuses help from carers and insists ‘he would do the same for me’.
Burrow, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019, now weighs just seven-stone, is non-verbal and can only eat liquidised food spoon fed to him by his wife.
The 40-year-old, a father-of-three, is also required to sleep downstairs and some nights requires a ventilator to decrease high levels of carbon dioxide in his body.
But his determined wife refuses assistance from carers and equipment, instead carrying him around their home and from his wheelchair to the car.
Speaking ahead of new ITV documentary Lindsey and Rob: Living with MND, which airs tomorrow, she vowed to continue looking after her beloved husband ‘while I’m physically able’, adding: ‘ I know he’d do the same for me’.
Burrow, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019, now weighs just seven-stone, is non-verbal and can only eat liquidised food spoon fed to him by his wife
The 40-year-old, a father-of-three, is also required to sleep downstairs and some nights requires a ventilator
Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield cross the finish line of the 2023 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon last month
Lindsey told The Mirror: ‘We haven’t really discussed the option of carers. We don’t want stairlifts, hoists and things, for me it can become quite clinical.
‘You just want to do what you can, while you can, for as long as you can. He’s my husband, I want to care for him. You say those vows, in sickness and in health, that’s what you want to do.
‘He’ll often say: “Thank you for looking after me, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you doing these things.” I know how grateful he is.
‘It’s not easy being a carer, but when I look at what Rob has had taken from him I’ve nothing to moan about.’
The couple have been married for 17 years and first met when the former rugby league star was a ‘shy’ 15-year-old.
But their relationship changed forever following Rob’s diagnosis four years ago.
Burrow spent his entire career at Leeds and made 492 appearances and also won 15 caps for England and five for Great Britain. He retired after winning his eighth Super League Grand Final in 2017 and subsequently became the club’s reserve team head coach.
He revealed the MND diagnosis in an emotional statement in December 2019.
Lindsey continues to work as an NHS physiotherapist once a week, a day during which Rob’s parents take on his care, and spends the rest of the time looking after their three children at their home in Castleford, West Yorkshire.
Rob was given two years to live following the diagnosis and now has no voluntary movement control aside from his eyes, which he uses to spell messages on a screen and tell his wife ‘he couldn’t be more proud’.
But Lindsey admits: ‘I don’t think he can really get any worse.’
She also opened up about asking her husband questions around his funeral wishes, with Rob telling her she is ‘still young’ and ‘should find someone else’.
And Lindsey told of how former teammate Kevin Sinfield should be awarded a knighthood for his fundraising efforts.
Rob Burrow held by his wife Lindsey in a swimming pool during a physiotherapy session
Rob Burrow pictured ahead of the 2023 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, which started and finished at Headingley Stadium last month
Rob was carried across the finish line at the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon by Sinfield last month after being pushed around the 26-mile course in a wheelchair.
The pair were raising money for motor neurone disease (MND) charities and used a specially-adapted chair to join 12,500 other runners in the first Leeds marathon in 20 years.
Rugby coach Sinfield has raised over £8million for MND charities since friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Burrow was diagnosed with the condition in late 2019.
The 42-year-old also completed his Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge in November when he ran seven back-to-back ultra-marathons, running around 40 miles each day.
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