“I am stressing again any statement regarding Michael’s health not coming
from the doctors treating him, or from his management, must be considered as
speculation,” she said. “I repeat, we will not comment on any
speculation.”
“Michael’s condition is still considered as stable,” she told Le
Dauphiné Libéré, a local newspaper. “I also repeat that
Michael’s family is very happy and confident with the work of the team of
doctors treating Michael, and they trust them completely.”
Surgeons have performed two operations to remove blood clots around Mr
Schumacher’s brain. He has been kept asleep to reduce swelling.
Doctors in Grenoble have ruled out giving a prognosis for his condition in the
coming days and months. But it is medically possible for someone to spend
several weeks in an induced coma and make a full recovery.
Professor Jean-Luc Truelle, the former head of the neurology department of the
Foch hospital in Suresnes, told L’Equipe that a month is “the maximum
period before entering into this phase” of coming out of an artificial
coma.
He said the process would begin with a sedation phase, then the patient opens
his eyes followed by the “re-establishment of some kind of
communication, which we verify through simple commands,” such as “open
your eyes, shut your eyes, squeeze your hand”.
“Schumacher appears to show this type of re-awakening,” wrote
L’Equipe. According to Prof Truelle, the two months following this phase are
a period of confusion in which the patient is in a state of “lethargy”
and that recovery stage can take “several years in the case of serious
head trauma”.
Meanwhile, Ferrari – the racing team with which Mr Schumacher had 72 of his 91
F1 wins – said in an online statement it was “waiting” for his
return: “Dear Michael, having spent so many years at Ferrari, you
became one of us. You thrilled us so often, bringing us great joy, but the
greatest one is yet to come: namely seeing you here in Maranello again, to
meet your second family, the Ferrari one.”
Mr Schumacher’s family have been by his bedside since the accident, and have
received hundreds of letters of support and gifts from around the world.
On Tuesday, on the first day of pre-season testing in Jerez, Schumacher’s
friend and compatriot Sebastian Vettel revealed he is still praying for a
miracle.
Mr Vettel said: “He’s still in a coma and we still don’t know what shape
he will be in when he wakes up, which is horrible, especially for his family
and close friends, not knowing what is going to happen
“I’m still as shocked as everybody else, and I pray and hope the miracle
will happen, he will come back and be the person he was before.”
The Mercedes car being driven by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg this week is
carrying the message “KeepFightingMichael”.