Schumacher's 10-year health mystery - surgeries to 'communicating with eyes'
It has now been more than a decade since Michael Schumacher suffered a tragic accident that changed his life forever.
Since that fateful day in the French Alps during Christmas 2013, the Formula One legend is yet to be publicly seen, while his catastrophic injuries have been shrouded in mystery. The German driver had been skiing with his family before he went off-piste and lost control.
The 55-year-old hit a boulder and suffered serious damage to his head, with his helmet saving his life. Following the incident on December 29, the seven-time world champion was left fighting for his life and was placed in a medically induced coma. In April 2014, his agent revealed that he had 'conscious moments' and two months later, Schumacher was back at his Swiss home by Lake Geneva under the care of his family.
But ever since, the star has hidden away from the public while health updates have been few and far between. Here, we take a look at his decade-long health battle...
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)When the crash happened, Schumacher's helmet absorbed much of the force, but the severity of the impact cracked the shell and fractured his skull, leading to a brain injury. He was quickly transported to hospital by air ambulance and medics carried out two life-saving surgeries to reduce pressure on the brain.
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At the time, it was confirmed that the star was fighting for his life and was in critical condition. It wasn’t until April 2014 that the family released their next statement, in which they said Schumacher had shown ‘moments of consciousness and awakening’. The following summer, it was confirmed that Schumacher was out of the coma and was moved to a rehabilitation facility before returning home to his family.
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 Corinna'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."
The exact nature of the 'consequences' is largely unknown. Corinna 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 2019, he was widely reported to have undergone stem cell treatment in a bid to regenerate his nervous system. Le Parisien reported he was admitted for transfusions of inflammation-reducing stem cells, and also quoted an unnamed nurse who claimed Schumacher had shown signs of recovery.
"Yes he is in my service," the nurse revealed. "And I can assure you that he is conscious." However, the racer is believed to have developed muscle atrophy and osteoporosis after being bed-bound.
‘Close relatives’ reportedly spoke with the French magazine 'Paris Match' ahead of his 50th birthday in January 2019. The magazine quoted one as saying: "When you put him in his wheelchair facing the beautiful panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake, Michael sometimes cries."
Addressing the family's new way of life, Jean Todt explained that they are living 'differently' in the wake of the accident. 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 September 2020, he said he had seen Michael that week, who was "fighting." Later that month it was reported that Schumacher had been spending more time in Majorca. Elisabetta Gregoraci, ex-wife of former F1 team boss Flavio Briarote, was quoted in Spanish press saying: "Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes. Only three people can visit him and I know who they are." On the Italian version of Big Brother the brunette added, in comments echoed by Spanish press: “They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.”
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Despite the global outpouring of grief, Corinna has sworn those around her husband to secrecy over his condition to maintain his dignity. Only those trusted have been granted access to see the star, with the house under strict security protocols. But 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.
Mick Schumacher longs to be able to discuss the sport with his dad (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)"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. "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 in Switzerland, 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.
"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."
Since his surgeries, little to no information has been shared about the procedures the star may have had. His son, Mick, 23, raced for Haas before becoming a reserve for Mercedes, and has given few interviews but has 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, 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. Schumacher 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.
However if the first decade is anything to go by, fans are unlikely to know much about Schumacher's whereabouts or evolving health in the upcoming years. In November, the family's lawyer, Felix Damm, explained why his close circle have chosen to remain silent on the matter.
"It has always been a matter of protecting private information," he reportedly told the Mail. "We also considered whether a final announcement about Michael's state of health could be the right way to go about it. But that wouldn't have been the end of it and there would have had to be permanently updated 'water level reports," he explained.
Although his close friend Todt has shared a glimmer of hope, adding: "I hope the world will be able to see him again. That is what he and his family are working towards."
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