The Prince of Wales has made good on his promise to the late Rob Burrow to open a new motor neurone disease centre.
Prince William opened the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at the Seacroft Hospital in Leeds on Thursday, in tribute to the former rugby league player’s “incredible” work.
It is the first purpose-built centre dedicated entirely to motor neurone disease (MND) care, research, education and holistic support.
Burrow died in June last year aged 41 after a long battle with MND.
With the support of his wife, Lindsey, who provided round-the-clock care, and his former Leeds Rhinos teammate and friend Kevin Sinfield, he raised more than £15m for charity to help MND patients and fund research into the disease.
The Prince surprised Burrow and Sinfield by presenting them with their CBE honours at Headingley Stadium in Leeds last January.
Burrow asked him then if he would open the centre and the Prince promised he would.
A Kensington Palace source said the centre was the result of Burrow’s determination to “create a place that treats patients as people, not conditions, and places them and their families at its heart”. It is described as “a trailblazer” for others around the country.
The centre was made possible thanks to a £6.8m fundraising campaign, led by Leeds Hospitals Charity and Burrow’s consultant, Dr Agam Jung.
Following Burrow’s death, Leeds Rhinos said work to begin building the centre would “go ahead as planned at Rob’s request”, describing it as a tribute to his “incredible work”.
The Prince was due to tour the new facility with Dr Jung and spend time with patients and families. He was also reunited with Burrow’s wife and children Macy, Maya and Jackson, and Sinfield.
Burrow and Sinfield were awarded CBEs after raising millions to combat the disease through a series of challenges. The Prince hailed their “inspirational” fundraising efforts, telling them: “This is how you help each other.”
The Motor Neurone Disease Association is one of four chosen charities for this year’s Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal and is supported by Burrow’s widow as well as his father, Geoff.
Geoff Burrow told The Telegraph when the new centre opened its doors earlier this month it was “one of the best days of my life”.
He added: “This opening is so important and we’re very proud. I think the patients here will feel very different to how Rob did when he came into the old centre… Now it’s a centre fit for the healthcare staff.
“Their job must be one of the hardest in the world, and so they deserve it as much as anybody else. That’s something Rob used to say, that it’s for the staff and the nurses, as well as the patients.”
Burrow and Sinfield’s fundraising campaign began after Burrow was diagnosed with MND in Dec 2019, just two years after retiring from his position as scrum half at Leeds Rhinos, the team he played for throughout his professional career.
The two friends initially wanted to provide support for Burrow’s wife and children but their efforts rapidly evolved.
In Dec 2020, Sinfield undertook his first Seven Marathons in Seven Days challenge which raised more than £2m, prompting him to begin donating funds to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
In 2021, he ran 101 miles in 24 hours and in Nov 2022, he completed an Ultra Seven in Seven Challenge, running seven back-to-back ultra-marathons.
In May 2023, he carried Burrow over the finish line at the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, undertaking a second Seven in Seven challenge later that year.