Kevin Sinfield urges Government to give MND families hope as he prepares for London Marathon

Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield has urged the Government to give families affected by motor neurone disease hope by investing in research to find treatments.
Kevin Sinfield pictured in November 2020 when he was the Leeds Rhinos director of rugby.
He is pictured after presenting Rob Burrow with the Betfred Super League Man of Steel 2020 award.

Picture by Phil Daly/Leeds RhinoKevin Sinfield pictured in November 2020 when he was the Leeds Rhinos director of rugby.
He is pictured after presenting Rob Burrow with the Betfred Super League Man of Steel 2020 award.

Picture by Phil Daly/Leeds Rhino
Kevin Sinfield pictured in November 2020 when he was the Leeds Rhinos director of rugby. He is pictured after presenting Rob Burrow with the Betfred Super League Man of Steel 2020 award. Picture by Phil Daly/Leeds Rhino

The Leicester defence coach will run in Sunday's London Marathon to raise funds for the MND Association, a cause close to his heart after his friend and former Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the condition in December 2019.

Read More
Business secretary pledges support to £50m research package into motor neurone d...

Rob Burrow was part of a group which visited Downing Street last week calling for £50million of Government money to be ploughed into research.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kevin said: "In the last 30 years it's been massively underfunded and it's been almost left.

"A lot of people have fought and suffered and struggled, but over that time they have had no hope. For all of us that have been involved, we want to give that hope to Rob and to everybody else across the UK and worldwide at the minute who's suffering.

"What we have seen over the last 18, 20 months since Covid first struck, how quickly we found a vaccine.

"If you throw enough money at something, there are a lot of great minds and smart minds out there who have come up with something.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The only way you can get that is by raising funds and by putting an amount of cash towards that research.

"We'll continue to do what we do, but as you can see, with something that's been so underfunded for the last 30 years, we're just scratching the surface, and people don't have that time."

Neurologists involved in the Unite To End MND campaign say the point has been reached where the major aspects of the disease are understood, so the next task is to target these pathways with specific drugs in clinical trials without delay.

Kevin, who ran seven marathons in seven days for the MND Association last year, has raised an astonishing £2.2m for the charity and inspired others in their own fundraising efforts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His new role at Leicester has made seeing Rob even more challenging, but Kevin says he still calls in on his friend every two to three weeks and swaps texts every week.

"The sad thing is that I can't pick up the phone and just speak to him anymore," he said.

"That form of communication has gone, so you try and make the best of it. But every time I do see him he's got a big smile on his face.

"When I see how brave he has been, how brave his wife Lindsey has been, the kids and his mum and dad, they have opened up and tried to show people that for families affected by MND you don't have to be ashamed, you don't need to be embarrassed and you don't have to hide away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"They're highlighting that this is a disease where people need help and support.

"He thinks it's hilarious that we're all running about after him. I absolutely know he'd do it for us and I am absolutely proud to wear the vest."

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.