The former Black Cap shared a positive update on his rehabilitation three months after undergoing emergency heart surgery due to a heart attack, resulting in an aortic dissection, he suffered in Canberra.
"3 [months] post op!" Cairns wrote on Twitter along with photos while in rehabilitation. "External chest precautions are off and I got a new set of wheels. Able to start pushing a little harder in the gym – can transfer on my own and allowed to use my chest finally!! Today is a good day."
During life-saving heart surgery in Sydney, Cairns suffered a stroke in his spine, resulting in paralysis in his legs.
Cairns' family said that he would undertake a significant rehabilitation process at a specialist spinal hospital, and the former all-rounder previously posted a video on social media to update fans on his condition.
"Just over six weeks ago I suffered a type A aortic dissection, which essentially means there's a tear in one of the major arteries of the heart," Cairns said in September. "I had several surgeries and grafts and, very thankfully, the specialists were able to save the heart itself."
The 51-year-old former cricketer said he would continue to post and keep fans updated on his progress.
Cairns has been living and working in Canberra with his wife Melanie and their children for several years.
He had to rebuild his life after walking out of Southwark Crown Court in London in 2015 after being found not guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice charges in relation to match-fixing allegations.
