What is known about Michael Schumacher's health? A mystery that has lasted 11 years
Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
Any sports fan, even those unfamiliar with Formula 1, knows who Michael Schumacher is.
Now 55 years old, Schumacher retired from his illustrious racing career in 2012. During his time in Formula 1, he broke numerous records, became a seven-time world champion, and is rightfully considered one of the greatest (if not the greatest) drivers in the sport’s history.
However, alongside his legendary career, we are also familiar with the tragic accident that took place on December 29, 2013.
Schumacher was skiing in the Alps with friends and his then 14-year-old son when he fell and hit his head on a rock. Despite wearing a helmet, the German icon suffered a severe head injury.
He was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble, where doctors performed two surgeries before placing him in a medically induced coma due to the traumatic brain injury. At the time, doctors stated that if it hadn’t been for the helmet, Schumacher would not have survived.
While his life was saved, it was far from the same. Schumacher spent over six months in a coma. Gradually, doctors reduced the sedative medications, and he eventually awoke, but he could no longer walk and was bedridden. He also suffered from memory issues.
For the past 11 years, Schumacher’s life has been shrouded in mystery. Understandably, no one outside of his inner circle in Formula 1 or close friends has seen any photos of him since the accident.
On several occasions, the family has been targeted by blackmailers claiming to have photos of Schumacher and threatening to release them online, though these threats never materialized. The police and courts acted swiftly to punish those responsible.
Recently, however, something surprising happened. After a long period without any news, and with the family confirming his paralysis—something Schumacher's wife Corinna acknowledged in the Netflix documentary about his life—Michael reportedly made a public appearance! Several global media outlets claimed that Schumacher attended the wedding of his 27-year-old daughter, Gina, who married her fiancé Ian Bethke at the family’s villa in Mallorca.
Naturally, guests were required to surrender their phones, and all photography was strictly prohibited. This wasn't just due to Schumacher's condition, but also because the family wanted to keep their luxurious estate private.
This begs the question: How often do people outside his immediate family see Schumacher? For years, it was said that only close relatives and a few high-profile figures in the sports world visited him. And yet, here he was at his daughter’s wedding, despite being paralyzed.
Unsurprisingly, some doubted the authenticity of these reports. Just a day ago, Jussi Posti, head of neurosurgery and brain injury at Turku University Hospital in Finland, explained why Schumacher couldn’t have attended the wedding:
“If they built a hospital in his home, where everything around him is equipped with medical technology, it seems likely that he spends most of his time in this hospital […] Usually, patients recover from such injuries within two years, and after that, the level of recovery generally plateaus. Essentially, patients like Schumacher are, at best, experimental cases.”
Another interesting detail came from Elisabetta Gregoraci. For those unfamiliar, Gregoraci is the ex-wife of Flavio Briatore, the former Formula 1 team boss and one of the few people allowed to visit Schumacher. The Italian model let slip some insights about how Schumacher communicates:
“Michael doesn’t speak; he communicates with his eyes. Only three people are allowed to visit him, and I know who they are. They’ve moved to Spain, and his wife has built a hospital at their home.”
The exact method of communication remains unclear, but rumors about Schumacher losing the ability to speak date back to 2014. His son Mick alluded to this in the Netflix documentary, saying, “We understand each other differently now.”
