It’s hard to believe it has been more than a decade since Michael Schumacher’s life was changed forever after a shocking, and tragic accident.
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The Formula 1 star suffered a near-fatal brain injury in December 2013 when he fell and hit his head on a boulder while skiing off-piste in the French Alps.
Michael, now 55, has not been seen in public since the accident which left him paralysed and in a medically-induced coma for several months.
The racing driver has been cared for since the accident by his wife Corinna, 54, and the couple’s two now adult children Gina-Marie, 26, and Mick, 24.
Luckily, when the crash occurred, Michael was wearing a helmet which absorbed much of the impact.
Unfortunately, however, given the intensity of the force with which he fell, the impact cracked the helmet shell and fractured his skull, leading to undisclosed catastrophic brain injuries.
After being evacuated off the ski slopes by air ambulance to the hospital, Michael underwent two life-saving surgeries to reduce the pressure on his brain.
The following summer, he was then moved to a rehabilitation facility before finally returning to his Swiss home in Lake Geneva under the care of his loving family.
Almost a year after the accident, fellow Formula One driver Philippe Streiff revealed that his friend Michael was paralysed and using a wheelchair.
“Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He [also] has memory problems and speech problems,” he shared.
Around the same time, ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt made the emotional revelation that Michael’s unlikely survival was due to the incredible determination of his wife Corrina.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Corinna since Michael had his serious skiing accident on December 29, 2013. She is a great woman and runs the family. She hadn’t expected that. It happened suddenly and she had no choice. But she does it very well. I trust her, she trusts me,” Jean Todt said at the time.
“Thanks to the work of his doctors and the cooperation of Corinna, who wanted him to survive, he survived – but with consequences.”
Unsurprisingly, the exact nature of these ‘consequences’ that are being referred to is unknown, given all those close to Michael have made a point of not publically commenting on his health.
Over the years, Corinna has described her husband as “different”, whilst son Mick – who has since followed in his father’s footsteps and become a Formula One driver – has stated that Michael is unable to communicate.
Currently, only those who have been sworn to secrecy and trusted by the Schumacher family are allowed to visit him, with strict security protocols in place at his residence to maintain his privacy and dignity.
In 2021, Corinna gave a rare glimpse into her heartache regarding her husband’s health in the Netflix documentary SCHUMACHER, admitting she missed who her husband was before his accident “every day.”
“Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here – different but here. He still shows me how strong he is every day.”
“We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can, we all will,” she shared.
“We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we’re protecting Michael.”
In December 2023, Michael’s brother Raff made the sad admission to the German publication Bild that his brother was “nothing like [he] used to be” since his accident.
“I miss my Michael from back then. Life is sometimes unfair. Michael had often been lucky in his life but then came this tragic accident. Thank goodness we were able to do a lot thanks to modern medical possibilities, but still, nothing is like it used to be.”
Two months before that, Felix Damm, the Schumacher family lawyer confirmed that the family would not be releasing any information relating to Michael’s medical status and current condition to avoid further speculation.
More recently, Jean Todt confirmed he still visits the former racer, but that their friendship was not the same as it once was.
“Michael is here, so I don’t miss him. (but he) is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him,” he shared to French daily sports paper L’Equipe.
“His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That’s all there is to say.”
