Kehm stressed that any interaction with Schumacher is “on a very limited
basis” and added that “a medical prognosis is not possible”
due to the nature of his brain injury.
Schumacher has been in a medically induced coma in Grenoble, France, since
being badly injured in a ski accident on December 29 in the French resort of
Meribel with his son and friends.
Kehm said Schumacher’s family have been touched by a deluge of tributes and
support from fans of the racing driver, but constant media speculation,
particularly in German newspapers, has caused the family some anguish.
“What upsets the family most is media quoting doctors who are not
treating Michael and untruths are constructed from these,” said Kehm,
who has been in Grenoble nearly every day since the accident.
“It has been a problem when outsiders comment and it means we have to set
the record straight, even when we don’t want to.”
The 45-year-old Schumacher underwent two operations in the days after the
accident to remove life-threatening blood clots before being placed into a
coma.
Michael Schumacher skiing before the accident
The family announced at the end of January that drugs used to keep him in his
deep sleep were being reduced with a view to bringing him back to
consciousness.
In February, his friend and former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa was quoted as
saying that Schumacher seemed to respond to him during a visit.
“He is sleeping, he looks normal and he showed a few responses with his
mouth,” Massa told German tabloid Bild.
And last month, Schumacher’s family said they were confident that the racing
legend who defied death more than once on the track would pull through.
Schumacher survived a motorbike accident in Spain in 2009, during which he
suffered head and neck injuries but was released from hospital after just
five hours.
Kehm once again asked that the privacy of Schumacher’s wife Corinna and their
two children be respected, while thanking well-wishers for their support.
“Support from fans and well-wishers means very much to the Schumachers,”
said Kehm. “We feel these people show genuine, affectionate interest
and support.”