Chris Cairns has been left paralysed in his legs after suffering a stroke in his spine during a heart operation in Sydney. This was confirmed by Aaron Lloyd, his lawyer: ‘As a result he will be undertaking a significant rehabilitation process at a specialist spinal hospital in Australia.’
Cairns has returned to his home in Canberra ‘to focus on spending time together’ with his family. Lloyd also mentioned that it will take a long time to recover.
Cairns needed an emergency surgery earlier this month, and was briefly on life support after suffering an aortic dissection – a tear in the body’s main artery – at his home before admitting to the St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. He was taken off life support last week.
One of the greatest cricketers in New Zealand history, Cairns played 62 Tests, 215 ODIs and two T20Is between 1989 and 2006. His father Lance also represented the country between 1974 and 1988.