Michael Schumacher’s family has made a rare statement on the treatment of the seven-times world champion ahead of his 50th birthday.
The exact details of Schumacher’s condition have been closely guarded by those closest to him since he suffered head injuries when he fell while skiing in December 2013.“You can be sure that he is in the very best of hands and that we are doing everything humanly possible to help him,” said his family, who again stressed their desire for privacy.
“Please understand if we are following Michael’s wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy.”
They will mark his birthday tomorrow by releasing a new app featuring a “virtual museum” celebrating his achievements.
“We are very happy to celebrate Michael’s 50th birthday tomorrow together with you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts that we can do this together. As a gift to him, you and us, Keep Fighting Foundation has created a virtual museum.
“The Official Michael Schumacher App will be released tomorrow, so that we can review all together Michael’s successes. The app is another milestone in our effort to do justice to him and you, his fans, by celebrating his accomplishments. We wish you a lot of fun with it.
“Michael can be proud of what he has achieved, and so are we! That’s why we remember his successes with the Michael Schumacher Private Collection exhibition in Cologne, by publishing memories in social media and by continuing his charitable work through the Keep Fighting Foundation. We want to remember and celebrate his victories, his records and his jubilation.”
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MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
2nd January 2019, 11:02
I’m afraid for all their secrecy, the fact they continue to refer to him only in the third person already tells most of the story. Sad.
Gabriel (@rethla)
2nd January 2019, 14:29
The secrecy tells most of the story
grat
3rd January 2019, 18:36
Honestly, the fact that there has been no message from Schumacher himself, tells us what we don’t want to know. He may be alive and aware, but he’s unable to communicate to any significant degree.
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
2nd January 2019, 11:34
My attitude to this has changed over time. To begin with I was frustrated that we, the fans, had no idea what had happened to our hero, someone who I had grown up watching every Sunday.
Over the past few years it’s become clear that he is stable, but not in a good state; probably both mentally and physically. Do we really need to know more? His family love him, he’s in good hands and has a large bank account to continue his care. Good for him, good for them and I wish them all the best in what is clearly a horrific situation.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
2nd January 2019, 11:37
Yes, that’s a very pragmatic and nice attitude for a fan to have, @ben-n
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd January 2019, 12:07
@ben-n Thoroughly Agreed. More or less my view as well.
Vettel fan 17 (@)
2nd January 2019, 12:15
^THIS
I hope he gets better. It would be naive to think he would fully recover but if he could be able to just live normally and enjoy life that would be amazing.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
3rd January 2019, 13:27
@vettelfan17 Like you, I wish him the very best. However brain damage is often permanent with no improvement unfortunately. I just hope he doesn’t suffer.
dot_com (@dot_com)
2nd January 2019, 17:45
I totally agree with this. I spent a long time very frustrated at being kept in the dark, but as the years went by with no *real* news, I started to understand the families position. It’s obvious that there is very little more to know than we already know. Such a big part of me hoped against hope that he would surprise us all with a miraculous video message on his birthday, but I know this is just wishful thinking. It’s best to remember him as the champion and fighter that he was, and hope and pray he will at least partially recover.
Kiran Nesarajah
3rd January 2019, 4:13
100% agree.
Dave The Drummer (@davethedrummer)
3rd January 2019, 9:57
Seconded. Well said.
BasCB (@bascb)
6th January 2019, 20:02
To me @ben-n it’s been a bit of media mis-management from the start – almost certainly doing exactly as Michael had wished them to do, paired with wishfull thinking from fans.
Sure, shortly after his accident hardly anyone would have guessed Zanardi would be showing us sporting success like he has been doing in recent years. And Robert Kubica has surprised all of us by being able to make it back into F1 after his horror crash. And Robert Wickens might still get back into racing over time.
But to me it was clear quite early on that there was little hope of Schumacher ever recovering enough to be even communicating as much as Wickens has since his accident. He got hit on the head, it took long to get him to a medical facility and then we didn’t get any news.
Indeed as you mention, we can only wish him and his family well.
Gus Maia
2nd January 2019, 14:45
I would support a blackout on every news on Schumacher.
And i would hope that Racefans refrain even more on rumors on his current situation.
Any curiosity will only estimulate a possible breach of the family privacy.
By now, bar a (divine/scientific) miracle, the case is pretty clear.
Peter
2nd January 2019, 15:32
The family have a sensible attitude. They are happy to indulge the fans by helping celebrating his past achievements and remembering the spectacular career he had. Michael is clearly not able to speak to the fans for himself, and in that situation the fans should look to the past Michael, and not to the present or the future Michael.
BMF66
2nd January 2019, 16:08
Totally love being kept in the dark.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
2nd January 2019, 18:15
I get that it is the families choice to keep quiet and with their money no better care could be given, but to me it seems they would have less trouble if they took the initiative and kept the public informed of his condition when these anniversaries and birthdays come around. As much as famous people really expect and whine about getting the privacy of the anonymous this just isn’t possible. They all chose the life they chose and take the good parts of being famous when it is convenient. I think we all get he isn’t coming back anywhere close to the way he was so just say it and be done. The lurid articles come up because there are no facts to combat them with.
erikje
2nd January 2019, 20:02
Even if facts are available people always want to know more.
Being famous does not strip you of the right on privacy.
So deal with it and enjoy his brilliant past
Formula1 (@s2g-unit)
2nd January 2019, 20:05
@ben-n My Uncle is a Neurosurgeon, when it happened he said he didn’t follow the too closely the details but said the chances of him dying were extremely high and if he didn’t die, he would be a vegetable. Really sucks but at least he has his family around him.
I’m guessing the only improvements he might get could be what? Slight movement in a finger, on purposely blinking his eyes when asked?
Esploratore (@esploratore)
3rd January 2019, 2:28
So sad to not have someone of schumacher’s calibre around the paddock like prost, lauda, stewart to comment on various f1 stuff or be interviewed, really horrible.
BasCB (@bascb)
6th January 2019, 20:04
I’m not all that sure we ever would have gotten Schumacher being much in the media @esploratore
erikje
3rd January 2019, 15:50
i do not think any serious neurosurgeon can diagnose a patient by media info!
We already know he watched a formula1 race ( last brazil) with Brawn. So i guess there is at least some interaction with his surroundings .
Interesting was the visit recent of Putin who received a racing helmet signed by Michael.. not sure how old this gift was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MjiTD1bCYE