Don’t know if I'll walk again, but I've made my peace with that: Chris Cairns

The former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns has been going through a challenging time in his life for a long time now. The former all-rounder has said that he does not know whether he will ever walk again. The 51-year-old underwent an aortic dissection, a fatal rare heart condition, in the month of August.

Owing to this, the former all-rounder was on life support. He had to undergo four open-heart surgeries after that, but had a spinal stroke on the operating table that left him paralyzed below the waist.

Cairns  said that it has been 14 weeks since his injury but it feels like a lifetime. He added that now it is about understanding that he can lead an enjoyable life in a wheelchair.

“I don’t know if I will ever walk again and I have made my peace with that. It is now about understanding I can lead a full and enjoyable life in a wheelchair but at the same time knowing it will be different. It has been 14 weeks since I had my injury and it feels like a lifetime when I look back. I have zero recollection of the eight or nine days when I had four open-heart surgeries.

My wife, Mel, was with me the whole time and I have to refer back to her constantly with regards to what was going on. I was completely out of it,” Cairns said as quoted by Indian Express

At least I have the chance to be here and live: Chris Cairns

The former New Zealand cricketer further added that he feels that his sporting career is helping his recovery. Cairns also expressed his gratefulness for being able to live life again though in a different way.

“I will try and squeeze everything I can in over the next 12-24 months. Having been in a career when bones and muscles take six weeks to repair, there is no timeline here. I may get a flicker in three months in one muscle but it may take nine months.

I hope I will be going back on family holidays with the kids but I may be wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life. At least I have the chance to be here and live life in a different way if that happens,” Cairns added.