Former Black Caps star Chris Cairns on Tuesday evening tweeted a video of himself trialling a lightweight robotic exoskeleton, as his recovery continues.
It comes following life-threatening medical events last year when the 51-year-old underwent four open-heart surgeries to save his life, but the stress it left on his body saw a blood clot form resulting in a spinal stroke on the operating table, leaving him paralysed from the waist down.
In Tuesday's tweet, Cairns said: "They say luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Today was one of those lucky days for me as I was able to trial the @keeogo. A lightweight robotic dermoskeleton that detects movement from the muscles in your legs and assists to power them forward".
Last month, the former Black Caps star posted a video to social media showing him learning to walk again.
"It ain’t pretty, but it’s progress. Working hard since I got back from Xmas break. Not in danger of winning any Olympic medals just yet, but good to be standing tall and heading in the right direction," the tweet said.
He quickly started a rehabilitation routine as part of his recovery which includes five hours of work in a gym six days per week.
Cairns revealed in December he had accepted he may never walk again.
"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," Cairns said at the time.
Cairns said during the interview his background in elite sport was helping him adjust to his new reality though.
"Having rehabbed during a sporting career you understand mental discipline is required.
"It would be quite easy to give up and accept, maybe this is it. I will try and squeeze everything I can in over the next 12-24 months."
It comes as Cairns revealed 10 days ago he has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, five months after suffering the spinal stroke.
In an Instagram post, Cairns said the cancer diagnosis came as a "big shock" after a routine checkup, rnz reported.
Cairns played 62 Tests and 215 ODIs for the Black Caps throughout his career while also appearing regularly for Nottinghamshire between 1988 and 2008.
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