Heartwarming moment cricket great Chris Cairns takes huge steps in his battle to overcome devastating effects of a spinal stroke and heart attack
- Chris Cairns has made huge strides in his recovery
- The cricket great had a heart attack, stroke and cancer
- Cairns was filmed walking on crutches on Wednesday
New Zealand cricket legend Chris Cairns has made huge strides in his recovery from a spinal stroke and heart attack as he released a heartwarming video to his fans this week.
Cairns, 52, has been wheelchair-bound after suffering a spinal stroke after a catastrophic heart failure due to an aortic dissection, which is a tear in the inner layer of the main artery.
He was then diagnosed with bowel cancer a matter of months later.
Cairns took to Instagram on Wednesday to show his progress, sharing a video of himself standing on his own for several seconds. He can be seen walking with crutches for a few metres, too.
‘As well as meeting the remarkable John Maclean (man, what an inspirational bloke)… today was just unreal,’ he posted.
Chris Cairns has shared a heartwarming update amid his health battle
The New Zealand cricket legend had a heart attack, stroke and cancer last year
‘Huge thanks to Daz and Paul from @neuromuscular_o… two men helping people improve their lives… both of you are Champions. Just keep moving it forwards… inch by inch… and smash a ceiling or two on the way… (please excuse the semi-nudity and chicken legs).’
Cairns underwent multiple surgeries, rehabilitation and chemotherapy during a brutal 12 months, and recently reflected on his ordeal.
‘I’m no different from anyone else… there’s no secret recipe. It’s choice, fundamentally,’ he told Between Two Beers podcast. ‘The human race is gifted with an asset in the mind that allows you to choose your reaction to any situation.
‘That is the most important thing you possess, and at times, people don’t tap into that. It’s easy to be a victim, easier for it to be someone else’s fault… to be unlucky.
‘I just never carried that mentality. Maybe that was through cricket or other things in my life… that choice aspect is always the most important.
‘Of course, I will burst into tears or feel horrible, but I quickly try to transition out of that. The key things in all of this are choice and purpose.’
Former all-rounder Cairns is regarded as one of his country’s best cricketers
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