Chris Cairns' wife Melanie provides update on husband's health condition

The former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns‘ wife Melanie has reacted to her husband’s medical condition as he is in the Australian hospital following heart surgery. Last week in Canberra, he collapsed after having suffered a severe heart attack which resulted in aortic dissection. Aortic dissection occurs when a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body’s main artery.

He was previously expected to be transferred to a specialist hospital in Sydney for further treatment. Chris Cairns is understood to have undergone a couple of operations in the past but did not respond to these treatments as expected. Melanie Cairns however confirmed that her husband has been now transferred to a hospital in Sydney to undergo further surgery.

“As has now been widely reported in the media, Chris suffered a major medical event in Canberra late last week. He initially underwent surgery in Canberra, but the seriousness of his condition is such that he has now been transferred to St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney, where he has undergone further cardiovascular surgery. For now, no further statements will be made regarding Chris’ situation, and the Cairns family asks that people continue to respect their privacy as they deal with this difficult, upsetting, and concerning the situation.” Melanie Cairns said as reported by NewstalkZB.

Our thoughts are with his family: New Zealand cricket CEO

Cairns was arguably one of the best all-rounders of his era. He stood for the New Zealand team in crunch moments to sail the side to victory. The plethora of talent he had under his sleeves and his passion for the game made him the fan’s favorite. In 62 test matches, Cairns has chipped in 3320 runs and picked up 218 wickets. Whereas in the ODIs he scored 4950 runs and has scalped 201 wickets.

Considering the concerning situation of the cricketer, New Zealand Cricket CEO David White said in a statement, “We’re deeply concerned to hear of Chris Cairns’ medical emergency. Our thoughts are with his family in Australia and here in New Zealand. Chris is a much-loved husband, father, and son – and remains one of our finest all-rounders. We hope he’s able to make a full recovery.”