New Zealand cricket great Chris Cairns has returned to Canberra from Sydney but remains in a serious condition with a “long road to recovery” ahead of him.
The former Black Caps captain, 51, collapsed in Canberra three weeks ago, having suffered a massive heart attack – resulting in an aortic dissection, or a tear in the inner layer of the body’s main artery.
His family said this afternoon that during life-saving emergency heart surgery in Sydney, Cairns suffered a stroke in his spine.
“This has resulted in paralysis in his legs. As a result, he will be undertaking a significant rehabilitation process at a specialist spinal hospital in Australia.”
Cairns and his family appreciate the immense public support, they said.
“They also appreciate the way in which their privacy has been respected.”
Cairns, the son of Black Cap legend Lance Cairns, was a right-hand batsman and…
