Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher is said to be recuperating after a ski accident left him with severe head injuries. The German driver, 49, was critically injured when he fell and struck his head on a rock in the French Alps in 2013. He is believed to no longer be bedridden or surviving with the help of tubes, reports the Daily Mail.
The paper said he is still receiving extensive nursing and therapy care coming in at more than £50,000 a week. They spoke to friends and family to shed some light on how the seven-time champion is progressing, five years on from the accident which left him immobile and unable to speak. He is believed to be having treatment at home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, rather than in a clinic.
However, the Mail said he could be transferred to a clinic in Dallas, Texas, which specialises in treating brain injuries. Clinic director Mark Weeks told German magazine Bravo: ‘We have a lot of experience with patients who are suffering this kind of trauma. There is probably no clinic in Europe that treats as many cases as we do.’
His family have kept details of his condition private. Their lawyer Felix Damm gave the clearest update on the star driver’s health situation in 2016, opening a legal case against German magazine Bunte regarding a story printed which claimed he could walk again.
‘He cannot walk,’ Damm said when asked about the Bunte article Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm moved to further deny the claims. ‘Unfortunately, we are forced by a recent press report to clarify that the assertion that Michael could move again is not true,’ she said. ‘Such speculation is irresponsible, because given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important for Michael.