“For the future we ask for understanding that his further rehabilitation will
take place away from the public eye.”
The 45-year-old has been moved from Grenoble to the University Hospital of the
Canton of Vaud, in Lausanne. The facility is about 20 miles from
Schumacher’s home, a mansion worth £50 million on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Germany’s Bild Zeitung reports that Schumacher opens his eyes during “waking
phases”. He can communicate with those around him, especially with his
wife, Corinna and their children.
Schumacher had 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. He struck his head on a rock while skiing
off-piste.
Schumacher underwent two operations in the days after the accident to remove
life-threatening blood clots before being placed into a coma.
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.
Announcements have been few and far between since the accident but the latest
news will bring cheer to his millions of fans across the globe and the
Formula One community at large.
Schumacher won an unprecedented seven titles in F1: two with Benetton in 1994
and 1995, and five consecutive championships with Ferrari
from 2000 to 2004. The German came back to the sport with Mercedes in 2010,
securing only one podium before retiring for a second time at the end of
2012.
– Michael
Schumacher leaves hospital – latest news
– Michael
Schumacher’s 20 years in Formula One, in pics