Chris Cairns shared a video in which he thanked the surgeons, doctors, nurses who “saved my life”.© Twitter
New Zealand cricket great Chris Cairns On Monday he said he was facing “probably the biggest challenge” of his life after being paralyzed after a stroke during a heart operation. The 51-year-old, one of the world’s top all-rounders in the early 2000s, had life-saving surgery last month after a tear developed in the lining of a major artery. The former Canberra-based international had an emergency operation in Sydney but suffered a stroke during the procedure, leaving him unable to use his legs. In his first comment after that, Cairns shared a video message on social media in which he thanked the surgeons, doctors, nurses who “saved my life”, acknowledging that there was “a long road ahead”.
“Just six weeks ago, I suffered a type-A aortic dissection, which essentially means there’s a tear in one of the heart’s major arteries,” he said.
It’s been a big 6 weeks. On August 4th I suffered type A aortic dissection, a rare but serious condition. I needed emergency surgery and there were many complications and I suffered a spinal stroke. There is a long road ahead, but I am grateful to be here.pic.twitter.com/ylRoz2HmPF
— chris cairns (@chriscairns168) September 19, 2021
“I had several surgeries and grafts and thankfully the specialists were able to save the heart.
“One complication that did arise was spinal cord trauma which in itself would probably present the greatest challenge I have faced in further rehab.”
Cairns played 62 Tests between 1989 and 2004, averaging 29.4 with the ball and 33.53 with the bat, including 87 sixes – a world record at the time.
publicized
Although his on-field achievements were overshadowed by allegations of match-fixing, Cairns strongly denied it, which resulted in two court cases.
He was acquitted on both occasions, but complained that his reputation had been “scorched”.
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