Rob Burrow backs £5m charity appeal to build state-of-the-art Motor Neurone Disease centre in Leeds
7 September 2021
A state-of-of-the-art purpose-built care centre of excellence for those living in and around the Leeds area is the latest fundraising appeal from Leeds Hospitals Charity as they announce a plan to raise £5 million to build The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, spearheaded by the Leeds Rhinos player Rob Burrow and his family.
Rob has been courageously sharing his story of motor neurone disease with the public since he was diagnosed last year at the age of 37, and he has raised the profile of the condition beyond all expectations. He refers to his care at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, Seacroft Hospital, where the MND centre is currently based, in his latest autobiography, and a BBC documentary, also filmed at Seacroft, is currently shortlisted for a Television Award, for which the winner is due to be announced this Thursday.
Since he was diagnosed, Rob has actively campaigned to help raise awareness and raise funds in support of MND charities, and having excelled in his sporting career, he now plans to support the creation of a centre of equal standards that will benefit many more people living with this disease alongside his friends and close supporters former Leeds Rhinos player Kevin Sinfield and actor Matthew Lewis.
Despite the obstacles he faces, Rob is supporting people with MND through Leeds Hospitals Charity’s appeal, he says:
“...my vision is that people diagnosed with MND hear the news in a calming and tranquil sanctuary. I envisage a beautiful, welcoming building that is user and family friendly."
The Leeds Rhinos Foundation, official charity of the Leeds Rhinos where Rob played professionally for 16 years, have been the first to pledge £50,000 in support of the charity’s appeal.
Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist who leads the MND team at Seacroft Hospital says:
“We want to provide a safe haven for our patients and their families - a peaceful environment that reiterates to them that they have the best possible care, helping them ‘live in the now’, a serene place that instils hope and courage.”
By donating to the charity’s appeal, you can support the creation of a bespoke centre, which will see all MND services housed under one roof for the first time. Here, patients will have access to a range of holistic support tailored to their needs, from speech and language therapy, to diet and nutrition advice, and physiotherapy.
Patients will see consultants from Neurology, Palliative Care, Respiratory medicine alongside a multidisciplinary team of highly skilled professionals. The vision is for a space that is bright and modern, that has windows and gardens, with spaces for families to be together, or quiet rooms to reflect in after difficult conversations.
You can donate to the appeal and find out more through Leeds Hospitals Charity’s website https://www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/pages/category/mnd-centre-appeal
