'Rob Burrow gave me a sense of purpose, an identity and a reason to live'

08 June 2024 , 21:02

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Ian was diagnosed with MND two weeks before Rob and were both treated by the same medical team

As rugby hero Rob Burrow battled motor neurone disease, his bravery touched the nation. But few can have been more inspired by the sportsman’s courage than fellow MND battler Ian Flatt.

Ian, who formed a close bond with Rob, has told how Rob’s death a week ago, at the age of 42, is keeping him going in his own fight. The dad-of-two was diagnosed just eight months before Leeds Rhinos hero Rob, and the pair were treated by the same medical team – inspiring each other in their shared struggle.

Ian, 58, told us: “Only two men have ever made me cry, and Rob is one of them. He was my beacon of hope. He was the most genuine, warm and generous person, and he made me feel special. Rob and his family changed so much for so many, including myself. They galvanised a community – and a movement – that MND sufferers could all be a part of. He gave me a sense of purpose, an identity and a reason to live.”

Ian Flatt and Rob Burrow

“Flatty” as Rob called him is battling the same disease that Rob had (Andy Stenning/Sunday Mirror)

Ian, from Harrogate, North Yorks, spoke of his enduring friendship with Rob just days after he lost his four- and-a-half-year fight with the life-limiting disease. The pals first met at a charity function in 2022 and instantly bonded. And despite Rob’s inability to communicate verbally, Ian knew the chance encounter was the start of something special.

He said: “I remember Rob looked over at me from the other side of the room and smiled. I will never forget that night and the kindness and warmth that he and his dad, Geoff, showed me. We were in the middle of this black-tie event but he just wanted to talk. Every time I saw him from that day on, his eyes would light up and that grin would spread across his face. It was a beautiful thing. There are few people who’ve had such a profound impact on me, but that was Rob’s gift – he let me into his life and made me feel like his best mate.”

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Ian’s world was shattered in 2019 when doctors revealed he could be dead within 15 months. And as he came to terms with the knowledge he would lose the ability to walk and talk, he and his wife Rachael, 49, had the added agony of telling their daughters, Charley, 24, and Iseabail, 19. It also meant Ian had to quit his job as a company director.

He says his default reaction was to simply put on a brave face. But after meeting Rob, and watching his tireless fundraising campaign with friend and former teammate Kevin Sinfield, 43, his outlook transformed.

Ian – who, like Rob, was treated at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds – explained: “My attitude all the way through was to bottle things up and appear stoic. And it took Rob and Kevin to come along for me to at last be honest with myself. It was only at that point that all my suppression and macho nonsense finally disappeared. The way Rob talked about MND was so honest and brave… it gave me the toolkit to be able to open up, to be emotional and to be raw. His example of how to live, and of living for today, was everything I believed in and wanted to do. And Rob showed me how to do it.”

The pair were both treated at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds

Ian now relies on a wheelchair and is hooked up to a ventilator for 16 hours a day. He says that coming to terms with his new body was a struggle – and left him feeling alone. He said: “I didn’t know anybody with MND and I’d never heard of it. There was no support. You’re given two leaflets, a maximum half hour consultation for your diagnosis and prognosis, and that’s it – no more discussion. But Rob came along and changed the landscape of MND. He changed the attitude from, ‘Go and sit in a dark room and pass away’, to, ‘Let’s say no, let’s campaign and let’s find a cure’.”

Rob – who leaves behind his wife Lindsey, 41, and children Macy, 12, Maya, nine, and five-year-old Jackson – spearheaded a £6.8million appeal for Leeds Hospitals Charity in order to build a specialist MND centre. And now Ian, who worked closely with Rob on the building’s design, is set to embark on his own fundraiser for the project, starting on Saturday.

Ian with his wife Rachel (Andy Stenning/Sunday Mirror)

In a nod to the number seven immortalised on the back of Rob’s rugby shirt, Ian hopes to raise £77,777.77p by scaling seven mountains in his electric off‑road wheelchair, nicknamed the Tangerine Dream Machine. And when things get tough, Rob will be in his thoughts.

Ian told us: “If I need a little bit of extra oomph, I’m going to get it from Rob. I’ll think about him, Lindsey, the children and his parents, Geoff and Irene. I’ve been both hon­­oured and humb-led to have Rob’s friendship these last few years and that will keep me going. It comes back to Rob’s message – in times of adversity, be brave, face it and get on with it as best you can.”

Rob spent his entire 18-year rugby league career with the Rhinos, joining in 1999 and helping them to win eight Super League titles. Following his diagnosis two years after retirement, he and pal Kevin raised £15million for MND research in less than five years. He was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours list for services to rugby league and the MND community, and became a CBE in January.

To donate to Ian's fundraiser for Leeds Hospitals Charity, visit his website here.

Saskia Rowlands