03 January 2023 , 16:37
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Considered to be one of the greatest drivers in Formula One, Michael Schumacher had been retired for only a matter of months when a horror injury changed his world forever.
The German star was skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel in December 2013 with son Mick, then 14, when he went off-piste and hit his head on a boulder, suffering catastrophic injuries despite the fact he was wearing a helmet. His wife Corrina revealed that on the day of the accident, Schumacher had voiced concerns that the snow wasn't up to scratch and suggested aborting the trip in favour of skydiving in Dubai.
Instead, the F1 legend - who turns 54 today - ended up fighting for his life after undergoing two major surgeries and being placed in a medically induced coma.
In April 2014, his agent revealed that the star had started having 'conscious moments' and two months later, Schumacher was back at his Swiss home by Lake Geneva under the care of his family.
Since then, he hasn't been seen in public and updates about his health are few and far between. But the ones that have been shared paint a picture of a once-great sportsman whose life has become severely limited.
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Michael Schumacher is considered to be one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula One (AFP)
Schumacher suffered life-changing injuries in a skiing accident (AFP via Getty Images)Late in 2014, fellow former racing driver Philippe Streiff said Michael was paralysed and used a wheelchair - although it's unclear if this is still the case.
Philippe, a good friend of Michael's who also uses a wheelchair after a racing accident, said: "He is getting better but everything is relative. It's very difficult. He can't speak.
"Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems."
And ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt said that his miraculous survival was the result of Corrina's steely determination - but that it had come at a price.
He told Bild: 'I've spent a lot of time with Corinna since Michael had his serious skiing accident on December 29, 2013. She is a great woman and runs the family.
'She hadn't expected that. It happened suddenly and she had no choice. But she does it very well. I trust her, she trusts me.
"Thanks to the work of his doctors and the cooperation of Corinna, who wanted him to survive, he survived - but with consequences."
Michael Schumacher, right, pictured with team manager Jean Todt, centre, and his teammate Eddie Irvine (AFP/Getty Images)The exact nature of the 'consequences' is largely unknown. Corrina has described her husband as 'different', while son Mick - who has followed in his father's footsteps into F1 - said Michael's illness means he's unable to communicate.
In 2016, Schumacher's lawyer Felix Damm told a German court that his client was unable to walk, contrary to reports. In 2020 he was widely reported to have undergone stem cell treatment in a bid to regenerate his nervous system. He is believed to have developed muscle atrophy and osteoporosis after being bed-bound for six years.
Addressing the family's new way of life, Jean Todt explained that they are living 'differently' in the wake of the accident.
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Michael Schumacher's son Mick is a reserve driver for Mercedes in F1, his dad's former team (Mick Schumacher/Instagram)He told gazzetta.it : "For me, it is a privilege to be close in the family with Michael, with Corinna, with Mick and Gina. Their life changed on December 29, 2013. They have to live everything differently. The important thing is the closeness of friends. And Keep Fighting, their foundation."
In 2021, Corinna gave a rare insight into her husband's health on Netflix documentary SCHUMACHER, admitting she desperately longs for the partner she had before the accident.
"I miss Michael every day. But it's not just me who misses him. It's the children, the family, his father, everyone around him," she said.
Mick Schumacher longs to be able to discuss the sport with his dad (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)"Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here - different, but here. He still shows me how strong he is every day."
Confirming that he lives at the family home, she said the fight continues to help Michael get better, but insisted she wanted to keep his trials and tribulations private.
She continued: "We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can.
Michael Schumacher's wife Corinna looks after his current care (AFP via Getty Images)"We all will. We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.
"It's very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."
His son Mick, 23, raced for Haas in the last two F1 seasons before becoming a reserve for Mercedes this year, and said his biggest heartbreak is that he can't discuss the sport with his father.
He said: "Since the accident, of course, these experiences, these moments that I believe many people have with their parents, are no longer present or to a lesser extent. And in my view, that is a little unfair.
Michael Schumacher and Corinna Schumacher married back in 1995 (Getty Images)"I think me and dad, we would understand each other in a different way now. Simply because we speak a similar language – the language of motor sport – and that we would have a lot more to talk about.
"And that is where my head is most of the time. Thinking that would be so cool … I would give up everything just for that."
Meanwhile, earlier this year it was reported that Schumacher's family were planning to start a 'new life' in Majorca in a £27 million villa which will be used over winter, according to German magazine Die Bunte.
The Schumachers are said to have purchased a new home in SpainSchumacher and wife Corinna's new pad is said to have been previously owned by Real Madrid boss Florentino Perez.
The property - which provides beautiful sea views down the Majorcan coast - is kitted out with two luxurious swimming pools, as well as a helipad and all the medical facilities needed for his recovery.
As well as the villa, the Schumachers are said to have also purchased the surrounding land - which currently houses olive trees and dilapidated buildings. The land is reported to have cost an eye-watering £2.3 million.