Michael Schumacher's health has been a mystery for years. On December 29th, 2013, the German F1 pilot suffered an accident while skiing in the Swiss Alps. His head hit a rock in the accident, resulting in a grave injury that left him interned in a hospital for nine months; six of those were spent in a coma. While he was later released, very little is known about Schumacher's health.
A few weeks ago, the journalist Stéphane L'Hermitte shared an update on Schumacher's health. "I would say that he's not doing well, but he could be improving because we don't know anything," he said to the French radio station RTL.
"The only real news comes from his family, and that's always very important, because those are the most trustworthy. The ones that come from the outside world don't count for much."
L'Hermitte then shared a fact that offers a glimmer of hope. He revealed that Schumacher signed a helmet with his initials, "M" and "S", for a benefit event. "This year, he signed a helmet. How did he sign the helmet? Did his wife hold his hand? We don't know, but it's the first time that we have some sort of positive sign, almost like a sign of life."
Still, L'Hermitte made it clear that nothing about Schumacher's health is known for certain. "The truth is that we haven't seen him walk, and it seems like he can't speak yet. So we're talking about someone who is breathing and can have small interactions with his family, but we can't say that he's doing well."
What do we know about Schumacher?
Two years ago, Schumacher's brother, Ralf, shared that Schumacher's recovery was limited despite having access to some of the best medical treatments in the world. "I miss my brother Michael. Life sometimes is unfair. Michael was very lucky throughout his life, but then came this tragic accident," he said to the German newspaper Bild.
"We've been able to do something thanks to the possibilities of modern medicine, but nothing is as it was before. I can say that his accident was a painful and sad experience for everyone, including myself."
Jean Todt, the former President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), also opened up about Schumacher's health in an interview with Bunt, praising his wife, Corinna Schumacher, who has cared for her husband over the past years. "Thanks to the work of the doctors and to Corinna's help, he's still alive. She wanted Michael to survive. She did it, but with consequences."