Rob Burrow's brave daughter had 'best ever' response to his tragic diagnosis

03 June 2024 , 15:54

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Rob Burrow is survived by his wife and three children (Image: PA)

Former Rugby League champion Rob Burrow did everything he could to protect his young family in the wake of his illness.

When he was told the life-shattering news that he had motor neurone disease (MND) in late 2019, he selflessly first questioned whether his wife Lindsey would be OK. The couple, who met when they were both 15, shared three children - Macy, 11, Maya, eight, and Jackson, four - and they tried to keep life to the full at home despite his debilitating disease.

He thought hard about how he would break the devastating news to the kids, and had implemented a 'no tears' policy so they wouldn't see each other upset. The former Leeds Rhinos star was supported every step of the way by Lindsey, who became his full-time 'superhero' carer.

After surpassing doctors' expectations and living with the incurable disease for five years, his former club confirmed on Sunday that he had tragically passed away at the age of 41. His story touched the nation as he and his teammate Kevin Sinfield were determined to raise awareness of the condition, raising £15million for MND charities.

Rob, Lindsey and Kevin were awarded the Special Recognition Award 2023 for their incredible dedication to raising awareness of MND (Daily Mirror)

MBE Rob wrote a book and allowed documentary film crews into his home, securing a National Television Award nomination. "People now know what MND is," Lindsey said. "This is so people no longer have to explain. And it is about giving hope to families who have little. You are given bleak statistics, we want to bring change, more funding and research."

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Speaking in his BBC documentary, Rob Burrow: My Year With MND, the sports star said in 2020: "MND is not the worst thing in the world - your kids getting poorly is the worst thing. I'm not trying to portray myself as a hero, because any man would gladly take any pain from their wife and kids and give it to himself."

The couple's next hurdle was telling their three young kids about their father's condition - but as with everything in life, Rob recalls what could have been a harrowing conversation with humour. "Me and Lindsey always said we'd be honest to make sure our kids trust us. So we told them the next day," he continued. "We sat them down and said, 'We've got something to tell you. Daddy's not very well, but he's got a lot of really good people looking after him'. "And Maya said, 'Why are you telling us this? It's boring!'. So we all started laughing - it was the best thing ever."

Rob confessed that he found it difficult to get his head around his future, but after meeting with Scottish rugby union international Doddie Weir, who had been living with MND for over five years, he had a new perspective - to ride the wave with laughter. "Meeting Doddie changed everything. I saw how happy and jokey he was, how he took the mick out of everyone around him.

"And I thought, 'I want to be my own version of that'," Rob explained. "So when I came home, me and my wife Lindsey decided we'd have a no-cry policy at home. Because when I see Lindsey upset, I get upset. And neither of us want the kids to be upset."

Rob also spoke movingly about his childhood sweetheart and the determination she had shown, saying: "I am amazed by Lindsey every day. It can be a very dark and lonely place at times but Lindsey always makes me feel like we are carrying on in the most normal way we can possibly manage. She is stronger than any rugby hero I have ever played alongside and I'm so lucky to have her."

Saffron Otter