Cairns diagnosed with bowel cancer after spinal stroke

The former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, six months after suffering a spinal stroke. Cairns underwent emergency surgery in August for aortic dissection – a tear in the lining of the body’s main artery – before enduring weeks of complications that culminated in a spinal stroke.

“I was told yesterday I have bowel cancer. Big shock and not what I was expecting after what was supposed to be a routine check-up,” Cairns said on Instagram. “Another fight ahead but here’s hoping this one is a swift upper cut and over in the first round.”

“As I prepare for another round of conversations with surgeons and specialists, I keep remembering how lucky I am to be here in the first place, and how blessed I am to have all that I do in my life,” Cairns added. (Agencies)