On the coming Friday, December 29th, marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic skiing accident involving Michael Schumacher.
The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion still suffers from severe repercussions that make it impossible for him to communicate and move.
Exactly ten years ago, on December 29, 2013, the accident occurred while Schumacher was on a family vacation in Méribel, Savoie, shortly after retiring from the Formula 1 racing scene.
His head collided with a rock, and his helmet shattered from the force of the impact. When rescuers arrived, Schumacher, also known as « The Red Baron, » was conscious but in shock.
He was immediately taken to the hospital, where he remained in a coma for several months. On the evening of the same day, Grenoble University Hospital announced that the former champion « suffered severe head trauma with a coma upon arrival, requiring immediate neurosurgical intervention. »
Schumacher also suffered a brain hemorrhage, and his prognosis for life was in jeopardy. When he woke up six months later, nothing was the same as before.
To this day, it is difficult to know Michael Schumacher’s health condition as his family remains extremely discreet on the matter. They keep him away from the media and do not disclose any information about him.
The Formula 1 champion can neither walk nor stand now, and it is impossible for him to communicate with others. Michael Schumacher is under constant care from a team of about fifteen doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists.
Since the accident involving Michael Schumacher on skis in the resort of Méribel in the French Alps, a whole decade has passed. Since September 2014, he has been living in a medical suite in his family villa in Gland, Switzerland.
« He is a prisoner of his own body, » said Gaëtan Vigneron, a Formula 1 commentator and expert in the racing scene for 30 years.
Michael’s younger brother Ralf shared some information with local media, which was picked up by the Daily Mail: « I miss the Michael of earlier times. Life can sometimes be so unfair. Michael had great luck all his life. And then came this tragic accident… That day was full of bad luck.
This terrible fate has forever changed our family. Fortunately, medicine has made great progress and offers many possibilities, but nothing is the same as before. »