Rob Burrow's emotional plea to wife Lindsey before his passing

When Rob Burrow and his wife Lindsey first met as teenagers, they dreamed of growing old together.

However, their shared journey was heartbreakingly cut short, with Leeds Rhinos announcing on Sunday that Burrow had died at the age of 41 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND). Diagnosed with MND in late 2019, two years post-retirement from rugby league, Burrow dedicated his remaining time to raising awareness and funds for research into the relentless condition.

His wife Lindsey, an NHS physiotherapist, stood by him as his primary caregiver throughout his struggle. Rob, who defied medical expectations by living with MND for five years, once confessed he couldn't have continued without her support", reports the Mirror.

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Rob, who surpassed doctors' expectations and lived with the disease for five years, previously admitted that he couldn't have carried on without her, and in a BBC documentary, Lindsey revealed that her husband had one request for her upon his eventual death. He had begged her to 'find someone else' following his passing, but the full-time carer, whom he met at 15, refused to.

During the documentary, Lindsey explained: "He always says, find someone else. You're young. But there won't be anybody else. No one will take Rob's place.

Overcome with emotion, she added: "I like to plan. But it's really difficult because Rob doesn't like to talk about the future."

"It's really difficult because you don't want to upset him but I want to know what Rob wants and his wishes so we have had to have those difficult conversations. And I know what Rob wants but I try not to think about the end