Medical doctors overseeing the treatment of legendary Formula One champion Michael Schumacher claim “only a miracle” can save him, according to the Telegraph. The German racing driver suffered serious, traumatic head injuries while skiing in the French Alpine ski resort Meribel, with his 14-year-old son, during late December.
After being transported to a Grenoble hospital, Schumacher underwent two emergency medical procedures and was placed in an artificially induced coma, which has lasted almost 70 days. In February, doctors began gradually rousing the seven-time Formula One winner from his coma, through reduction of his sedation, but the exact details of these efforts remain undisclosed.
Sources close to the family recently explained that Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, and brother Ralf Schumacher have consulted with neurologists in Europe to gain a consensus over the racer’s prognosis. It is reported that the majority of medical experts have estimated the chances of Schumacher’s recovery to be remote, with the German’s family fearing that French doctors at Grenoble believe he will remain in a permanent, vegetative state.
Most brain specialists that have been consulted on the case contend artificial comas to last, on average, around three weeks, and - in light of the race driver’s 10-week stint in an induced coma - remain skeptical over any significant recovery. Meanwhile, his management team insist doctors are slowly reducing the levels of sedative, indicating he is currently in a “wake up” phase.
According to the Telegraph, a German journalist reporting on Schumacher’s current condition claims he is “… in a bad way.” Another source stated doctors have offered the family their candid assessment on the likelihood the racing icon will pull through, suggesting he would need a miracle.
In the aftermath of the tragic accident, Sebastian Vettel, a fellow German racing driver and the reigning F1 champion - whose career was heavily influenced by Schumacher - prayed for the legend’s recovery:
“You pray, you wish, you hope that a miracle will happen and he will wake up as same person he was before.”
Currently, medical practitioners claim Schumacher, who is now unable to swallow, is predisposed to contracting pneumonia, as his lungs slowly fill with fluid. To prevent atrophy and bed sores, his joints and muscles are being exercised three times a day, while life support machines are said to be keeping him alive. He is also being administered drugs to thin his blood and prevent a potential thrombosis.
Formula One doctor Gary Hartstein informed the media that most patients who emerge from comas typically suffer major disability. However, Hartstein appeared to slam the Telegraph‘s recent journalistic efforts, believing it is almost inconceivable that any medical doctor would refer to a “miracle” in talking to a grievously injured patient’s family members. Hartstein claims the word is highly ambiguous and has the potential to give the family false hope.
By James Fenner