Those close to seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher will continue to keep his health a private matter, according to reports. The latest report on Schumacher, who sustained severe head injuries in a skiing accident in late 2013, was that he still could not walk or stand after nearly three years.
The report on his ability to stand and walk came in September, and Schumacher has been cared for at his Switzerland home for more than two years. But that may be the last update we get on Schumacher’s health, at least for the time being—the Associated Press reports that on Saturday, Schumacher’s manager said his health will be “closely guarded” among family members and those close to him. From the report:
“Michael’s health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard,” [manager] Sabine Kehm said in a statement. “We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere.” ...
Kehm said the Schumacher family was aware that fans were hoping for news of the 47-year-old German’s condition, “but we do this with full commitment to Michael’s guidelines and can only thank people for their understanding.”
Schumacher sustained the severe head injuries on a family skiing trip in France on Dec. 29, 2013, when he fell and struck a rock that cracked his helmet. The accident resulted in a cerebral hemorrhage and Schumacher went to a French hospital to undergo brain surgery, being admitted in a coma and classified as in critical condition. Schumacher eventually stabilized, and began care in his own home in 2014.
But the bad news didn’t stop, with reports of his medical records being stolen and put up for sale in 2014.
In September 2016, the Telegraph reported that a lawyer of Schumacher’s said he could not walk or stand on his own. That’s one of the few updates that has emerged since the accident, as the family has been protective of Schumacher’s status over the past few years—just as Schumacher was during his career. From the Associated Press:
“Michael has always been very protective of his privacy, even during the most successful times of his career. He has always made sure there is a clear and distinct line between his public persona and his private one,” Kehm said.
As a sign of gratitude to the fans, the Associated Press reports that Kehm did announce that the family would launch a “Keep Fighting Initiative” in order to encourage them “to keep fighting and never give up.”