Injured Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher has been showing small, encouraging signs in his fight for recovery, his family says. We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up, the relatives said in a statement. Doctors in France have been working to bring the seven-time champion out of a medically induced coma. The 45-year-old German suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps on 29 December. He has been kept in a coma to help reduce the swelling in his brain Hard fight On Wednesday, Schumachers manager, Sabine Kehm, released a statement on behalf of his family because of an increasing interest in [his] condition in light of the start of the Formula 1 season. Continue reading the main story Medically induced coma Can be induced by powerful anaesthetics and is broadly similar to the sedation and artificial ventilation used during surgery Used to shut down many brain functions, lowering blood flow and pressure Taking a patient out of an induced coma is a delicate process, especially after a prolonged period of sedation Doctors and relatives are looking for any signs of returning consciousness and recovery The family praised the efforts of the French doctors at Grenoble hospital, but also warned that it was clear from the start that this will be a long and hard fight for Michael. We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up. There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient, the statement added. Investigators probing the accident said Schumacher had been going at the speed of a very good skier at the time of his crash in the resort of Meribel. He had been skiing off-piste when he fell and hit a rock, investigators said. Experts reconstructed events leading up to the crash after examining Schumachers skiing equipment and viewing footage filmed on a camera attached to his helmet. Schumacher retired from racing in 2012 after a 19-year career. He won two titles with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995, before switching to Ferrari in 1996 and going on to win five straight titles from 2000.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 16:39:20 +0000