Neurosurgeon comments on ‘frail’ Michael Schumacher’s ‘public appearance’

A neurosurgeon has shed light on the F1 icon Michael Schumacher’s rumoured appearance at his daughter’s wedding.

Fans of the German F1 driver were left hopeful after rumours that Schumacher could make an appearance at his daughter Gina-Marie’s wedding at the family’s luxury Majorca villa in late September.

Schumacher’s family have been protective over his privacy after a skiing accident in 2013 left him with a life-changing brain injury. He has been living out of sight since and with contact with only three close family members and a team of medics.

Guests at Gina-Marie and Ian Bethke’s wedding were required to leave their phones at the door, a potential sign that Schumacher could be attending.

However, now a leading neurosurgeon has shed light on how likely this would have been given Schumacher’s condition.

Jussi Posti, the head of neurosurgery and traumatic brain injury at Turku University Hospital in Finland, claimed that Michael has spent his time ‘largely bedridden’ since he has a ‘private hospital built around him’ at home.

He told Finnish daily Iltalehti: ‘Based on the information available, I don’t think he has had an active life. Everything points to him being unwell.

‘As bedridden patients, many people become so frail and stiff that lifting moving them from the bed after years is no longer possible.’

The surgeon said a visit by the F1 icon isn’t entirely impossible after years as a bedridden patient, but he would have ‘lost a significant amount of muscle’ despite recovery and treatment.

Posti said that even if Schumacher made an appearance, he would have likely been in the same condition he has ‘for the past decade.’

‘I doubt anything has suddenly changed at this stage,’ he added.

For those hoping to see a miracle recovery after all these years, the neurosurgeon didn’t have good news.

He explained: ‘Typically, patients recover in two years as much as they can, and from then the level of recovery is done. Although there are anecdotal examples of patients who have recovered cognitively and sometimes into even physically better shape beyond two years.’

There are claims that Schumacher might be using his eyes to communicate.

His son Mick told a 2021 Netflix documentary that him and his father would ‘understand each other now in a different way,’ the MailOnline reports.

One example of eye movement communication is patients moving their eyes to indicate yes and no answers depending on their cognitive level, Posti said.

He continued: ‘There are various after-effects of brain damage – for example traumatic brain injury – which makes the patient unwilling to communicate with anyone other than his immediate family.

‘It may also be the case that no one other than the patient’s close family member can stimulate the patient enough so that they can communicate in a meaningful way.’

Michael, also known as Schumi, is thought to be kept out of the spotlight after his wife Corinna’s decision.

Schumi has reportedly become estranged from his extended family as a result of this, including his brother and fellow F1 driver Ralf, 49.

Ralf previously told German magazine Bunte: ‘When I see his children Gina-Maria and Mick, my heart smiles.

‘If someone in the family is looking for my advice, I’m there. They go their own way.’

Now that Gina’Marie, 27, and her fiancé have tied the knot, the eyes are on her 25-year-old brother Mick who may have proposed to his girlfriend, Danish lingerie model Laila Hasanovic, 24, according to Bild.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.