Heartbreaking moment Rob Burrow is carried around the house by his wife Lindsey – and her vow to help rugby league hero
THIS is the heartbreaking moment Rob Burrow is carried around the house by his wife Lindsey as she vows to help the rugby league hero.
The Leeds Rhino legend, 40, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) back in 2019.
Now weighing only seven stone, the former rugby player has to be cared for round-the-clock.
Rob, who is now non-verbal, can only eat liquidised food spoon fed to him by wife Lindsey.
He also has to sleep downstairs and sometimes needs the help of a ventilator to decrease high levels of carbon dioxide in his body.
Despite having three kids to look after, Lindsey has refused the help of carers and equipment – vowing she will be the one to take care of her husband.
Instead, she carries Rob around their home and does everything for him.
The couple have been married for 17 years and first met when Rob was 15 years old.
Speaking ahead of an ITV doc airing tomorrow, Lindsey said “I know he’d do the same for me”.
She 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.”
Rob was only given two years to live following the diagnosis.
He has no voluntary movement control apart from his eyes, which he now uses to spell messages out on a screen telling Lindsey “he couldn’t be more proud”.
But Lindsey said: “I don’t think he can really get any worse.”
Lindsey added Rob’s former teammate Kevin Sinfield should be awarded a knighthood for his fundraising efforts.
It comes after the rugby pal recently carried Rob over the finish line at the Leeds marathon, while raising money and awareness for the disease.
Rob completed the marathon in his chair until the last hurdle.
Sinfield, 42, then gave Burrow a peck on the cheek before preparing to return him to his chair.
Rob spent his whole career at Leeds, making 492 appearances.
He also won 15 caps for England and five for Great Britain.
The legend retired two years before his diagnosis.
Symptoms of MND
Muscle weakness and stiff joints are common symptoms of motor neurone disease.
Other potential indicators of MND, which affects around 5,000 people in the UK, include a loss of muscle mass, or wasting, and movement and mobility problems.
Stiffness is also common, as are cramps, twitches and spasms.
And many people will experience speech and communication issues, breathlessness and changes in saliva.
MND is caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones.
These cells gradually stop working over time, but it’s not known why this happens, the NHS says.