Rugby league family reacts to heartbreaking Rob Burrow documentary

Drew Darbyshire

There aren’t enough words to describe how much of an inspiration Rob Burrow is.

An emotional documentary – Rob Burrow: My Year with MND – was shown on BBC Two on Tuesday night, and the humbling response from the general public has been overwhelming.

The 38-year-old was sadly diagnosed with motor neurone disease just two years after ending his illustrious playing career by helping Leeds to a record-extending eighth Super League Grand Final title in 2017.

The way Burrow is managing the degenerative disease is so inspiring, he said: “I have too many reasons to live, I’m not giving in until my last breath.”

The documentary, which was superbly presented by Sally Nugent, is a tough watch but it is extremely uplifting given how strong Burrow’s frame of mind is for his wife and children during this tough time.

Burrow left a legacy on the field thanks to his stellar playing career and the work he is doing to raise awareness for MND now is uplifting.

After the docuementary had aired, Burrow tweeted: “Thank you for all your lovely comments on the documentary tonight.

“Thank you BBC Breakfast for everything. I only hope we don’t lose sight of one thing, there are people out there suffering from MND with no help. I love you all.”

The world is a very strange place to be in right now but if we can all take a little bit of Burrow’s amazing character then the world will be a much better place.

Rob Burrow: My Year with MND is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now and to find out more information on motor neurone disease, visit mndassociation.org.

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