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Inside Rob's love story with 'superhero' wife who cared for him until he died

03 June 2024 , 08:30
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The last photo of Rob shows him smiling with his family at a MND fundraiser
The last photo of Rob shows him smiling with his family at a MND fundraiser

LINDSEY found "the one" when she was just a teenager - former rugby star Rob Burrow.

Her husband passed away yesterday at the age of 41 following a lengthy and high-profile battle with motor neurone disease.

Former professional rugby player Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 (pictured with wife Lindsey and children Macy, Maya and Jackson) uhihriqhitdprw
Former professional rugby player Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 (pictured with wife Lindsey and children Macy, Maya and Jackson)
Rob and Lindsey met in 1996 when they were both 15 and married a decade later
Rob and Lindsey met in 1996 when they were both 15 and married a decade later
Burrow and his wife Lindsey pose for a photo after Rob is appointed an MBE
Burrow and his wife Lindsey pose for a photo after Rob is appointed an MBECredit: Getty
The last photo of Rob shows him smiling with wife Lindsey, daughters Macy and Maya and pal Kevin Sinfield
The last photo of Rob shows him smiling with wife Lindsey, daughters Macy and Maya and pal Kevin SinfieldCredit: PA
Lindsey and Rob tied the knot in 2006
Lindsey and Rob tied the knot in 2006Credit: Steve Morgan

The couple were married for 17 years and first met when Rob was just 15 years old.

Lindsey, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, previously told The Sun: "Rob and I were childhood sweethearts.

"We met when I was about 15 and I always knew he was the man I wanted to spend my life with.

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"He's the most kind-hearted, generous, caring, loving person, and very family oriented.

"He has always been the heart and soul of our family. He still is of course, but life is very different now. He needs help with pretty much everything.

"He can't walk without a frame, needs help dressing, washing, eating and brushing his teeth. I suppose I'm his carer now, as well as his wife.

"But I love Rob as much as I ever have. Even more so now, watching how he fights against this disease. And the children love him so much.

"It's hard to think about life without him. We don't know how long we've got left together but we're just treasuring all the time we do have."

Leeds legend Rob, who at 5ft 5in was known as the smallest player in the Super League, won the Challenge Cup twice, scoring a try in their 2015 win over Hull KR.

After retiring in 2017, he took on a coaching role at the club.

But gradual changes in his speech led him to be diagnosed with MND two weeks before Christmas in 2019.

Despite having three kids to look after, Lindsey refused the help of carers and equipment - vowing she would be the one to take care of her husband.

Rob could only eat liquidised food spoon fed to him by Lindsey and needed to be cared for round-the-clock.

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She carried Rob around their home and did everything for him.

Lindsey said "I know he'd do the same for me".

She previously 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 previously said: "I could not ask for a better help than my beautiful wife Lindsey.

"She is my very own superhero and I could not be alive without her help with everything. I love her so much."

Of the difficult task the couple faced of telling their three children about his disease, Rob said: "It's not easy. How do you tell them you've got something when there’s no cure?

"Lindsey was a great help. We wanted to tell them before Christmas because we thought that would be a distraction."

Lindsey later spoke of the children's acceptance, saying: "We told them that the doctors and nurses were doing everything they could for Daddy but that he had MND and it was life-limiting.

"Maya said, 'Why are you telling us this? It's boring'. We all started laughing."

Lindsey told The Sun last year how the family had a "no tears" approach to the disease, and explained how Rob had been inspired to live by another MND sufferer, rugby union player Doddie Weir who died aged 52 in 2022, six years after his diagnosis.

Lindsey said: "Within the first couple of weeks of diagnosis, Kev Sinfield took Rob to meet Doddie, and that was the turning point.

"Doddie instilled hope into Rob, telling him, 'Despite what they tell you, fight this and carry on with life'.

"Rob came home and told me, 'Right, there's a no-tears policy, we deal with this.

"It is what it is and we keep things as normal and possible for the children and make happy memories.

"Rob said he would accept the diagnosis but fight the prognosis."

Rob's wife vowed to stick by him as she carried him around their home
Rob's wife vowed to stick by him as she carried him around their homeCredit: ITV
Rob threw himself into fatherhood, alongside his career as a professional rugby player for Leeds Rhinos, and later as a coach
Rob threw himself into fatherhood, alongside his career as a professional rugby player for Leeds Rhinos, and later as a coach
Despite caring for three kids, Lindsey said she didn't want carers looking after her husband
Despite caring for three kids, Lindsey said she didn't want carers looking after her husbandCredit: Richard Walker
Lindsey said 'I know he'd do the same for me'
Lindsey said 'I know he'd do the same for me'Credit: BBC
Lindsey and Rob with their first born Macy
Lindsey and Rob with their first born MacyCredit: Richard Walker
They first met when Rob was 15 years old
They first met when Rob was 15 years oldCredit: Richard Walker
Rob could only eat liquidised foods and had to be spoon fed by Lindsey
Rob could only eat liquidised foods and had to be spoon fed by LindseyCredit: ITV
They were childhood sweethearts and were together for more than 17 years
They were childhood sweethearts and were together for more than 17 yearsCredit: Steve Morgan

Jonathan Rose

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