Christopher Lance Cairns, popularly known as Chris Cairns, is a former New Zealand all-rounder and ex-ODI captain, widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders of his era. However, August 21, 2021, marked a moment that turned his life upside down.
The former New Zealand cricket star, once celebrated for his power-hitting and athleticism, faced medical emergencies including a torn aorta, spinal stroke, and bowel cancer, that would test his resilience in ways no cricket match ever could.
In August 2021, Cairns collapsed at his home in Canberra after suffering a torn aorta, a rare and life-threatening condition. Paramedics airlifted him to a hospital in Sydney, where doctors fought to save his life.
Torn aorta also known as, Aortic dissection, is a catastrophic vascular disorder characterized by a tear in the intimal layer of the aorta, leading to the separation of the aortic wall layers. 1
He underwent three open-heart surgeries. While the procedures were successful, they marked a major change in his life.
Complications from the cardiac emergency led to a spinal stroke, leaving Cairns paralyzed from the waist down.
Speaking to The New Zealand Herald, Cairns recalled that when doctors first explained what had happened, “it didn’t really kick in.” The reality soon followed. “Then it dawned on me that the diagnosis and the situation I was in you know, potentially in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” he said.
For a man who had spent his life at the peak of physical fitness, the psychological adjustment was brutal.
During this period, Cairns also experienced multiple organ failure and was placed on dialysis, compounding the severity of his condition.
Just months after surviving a near-fatal cardiac event and adjusting to life in a wheelchair. Cairns was dealt another devastating blow. A routine colonoscopy revealed bowel cancer.
According to NHS, Bowel cancer is cancer usually found in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum. It's one of the most common types of cancer in the UK.
He initially faced the prospect of wearing adult diapers because of cancer, before the stoma solution, it was one of the things that nearly broke him.
“That was probably the one thing that nearly broke me because I couldn’t really go anywhere. I didn’t want to embarrass others,” he told The New Zealand Herald.
He later underwent a stoma procedure, a surgical intervention that proved life-changing.
An intestinal stoma is one of the most common surgical procedures, in this exteriorization of either small bowel or large bowel through the anterior abdominal wall is performed. 2
Describing the impact, Cairns said, “I actually got my life back. And so having the ability now to go out when I want, eat what I like, drink what I like, engage socially that was a huge thing.”
Through intense and prolonged rehabilitation, Cairns began to defy expectations. In April 2024, he shared videos of himself walking with crutches, later progressing to using a single walking stick.
Today, he uses a combination of mobility aids including a wheelchair, high-tech knee braces, and crutches. He has returned to cricket grounds not as a player, but as a coach for young children, finding renewed purpose in passing on his love for the game.
Beyond his medical battles, Cairns has also lived under the shadow of match-fixing allegations. He was accused of attempting to manipulate games while captaining the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League.
The controversy led to prolonged legal battles. For this, Cairns successfully sued former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi. Throughout this period, his wife Melanie stood firmly by his side, offering unwavering support at a time when, as Cairns later described, his reputation was “completely scorched.”
Acknowledging the lasting impact of the allegations, he told The New Zealand Herald that they remain “a part of my life and, you know, it’s always going to be there.” However, his perspective has shifted dramatically since his near-death experience. “All that stuff before that is just so insignificant,” he said.
1. Levy D, Sharma S, Farci F, et al. Aortic Dissection. [Updated 2024 Oct 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441963/
2. Mulita F, Lotfollahzadeh S. Intestinal Stoma. [Updated 2023 Jun 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565910/
(Rh/VK)
