Jeremy Renner says 10-year-old daughter Ava ‘healed him’ after snowplough accident

Jeremy Renner has shared how his daughter has “healed him” amid his recovery from a snowplough accident that left him in “critical but stable condition” earlier this year.

The Hawkeye star celebrated his daughter Ava’s 10th birthday on 28 March with a sweet tribute shared to his Instagram Story. Renner, 52, posted a father-daughter picture of the pair as he reflected on how she’s helped him since being crushed by a large snowplough outside his home in Nevada last January.

“Happy 10th Birthday to you!!!!” he began the birthday tribute. “So very proud of you in every way. Your hugs and your love have healed me so incredibly fast. I stand up for you, and I am stronger than before because of you. I am your father, I am your protector, and I am only yours.”

He signed the message: “I love you, Daddy”

Renner, who shares daughter Ava with ex-wife Sonni Pacheco, has continued to recover ever since he was run over by a snowplough on New Year’s Day while “trying to save his nephew” from the 14,000-pound PistenBully snowcat vehicle. The Arrival star had suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries in the incident and later revealed he had broken more than 30 bones.

Just this week, the Marvel actor showed fans he was on the mend when he shared a video of himself walking on an anti-gravity treadmill as part of his physical therapy. “It’s like having a cane,” he said in the video, adding that the equipment enables him to feel “less weight”.

“Now is the time for my body to rest and recover from my will,” Renner captioned the video.

Since returning home from the hospital, the action star has shared updates of his recovery on social media, including his workout routines for rehabilitation. In one video posted last February, Renner was seen working out on an exercise bike while using a handheld pole to help push his left leg.

“Whatever it takes,” he wrote in a caption over the video.

Renner’s daughter Ava isn’t the only one helping the Avengers star since his snowplough injury. His Marvel co-stars have also shown their support for Renner amid his recovery. Mark Ruffalo, who stars as the Hulk opposite Renner’s Hawkeye, called the actor an “inspiration to all” after he shared a video of himself walking on a treadmill just months after the accident.

Last January, Renner shared a selfie from his hospital bed just days after he was run over by the 14,000-pound snowplough. He captioned the post: “Thank you all for your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”

The selfie received an outpouring of love and support from Renner’s Marvel co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt. “Speedy recovery buddy. Sending love your way!” the Thor star wrote, while the Guardians of the Galaxy actor said: “Continued prayers your way brutha.”