Michael Schumacher

[Toast 16,250]

3 hours ago, CastAway said:

Actually not that big of a deal - there's a lot of people going no phones at least for the ceremony because people with phones insist on taking pics and often stepping front of and ruining the pics from the professional photographers

 

My cousin's son got married last weekend and they asked for no photos during the ceremony, except for the official photographer.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,218]

It was his daughters wedding.

 

Neither he nor Zanardi will be seen in public again.

[Filenos 22]

15 hours ago, Comped said:

I have always been waiting for an independent source, besides my former friend who's well connected in the racing world, to confirm that he's a "vegetable". Which is what I was told was the best way to describe him a while back. This is probably the best chance we have of getting anywhere close to that information-wise.

I believe that very direct statements about health are quickly removed from the media. It has happened before. Georg Gänswein, who has a few mentions on this website as Pope Benedict's private secretary and health update provider, once spoke quite openly to the German press in 2018 about a visit to Schuhmacher. Gänswein gave some details, after which you didn't need much imagination.

 

This was only online for a certain amount of time, and later there was a court case, according to which newspapers in Germany can no longer print Gänswein's statements because it leaves Schuhmacher's privacy. That's why I'm not repeating anything here. If another indiscreet clergyman comes along, we'll find out more again.

[Grim Up North 3,772]

15 pages on a guy who has not been seen in public since the thread started!

[Comped 534]

1 hour ago, pbert said:

I believe that very direct statements about health are quickly removed from the media. It has happened before. Georg Gänswein, who has a few mentions on this website as Pope Benedict's private secretary and health update provider, once spoke quite openly to the German press in 2018 about a visit to Schuhmacher. Gänswein gave some details, after which you didn't need much imagination.

 

This was only online for a certain amount of time, and later there was a court case, according to which newspapers in Germany can no longer print Gänswein's statements because it leaves Schuhmacher's privacy. That's why I'm not repeating anything here. If another indiscreet clergyman comes along, we'll find out more again.

I suppose we are lucky that a quick Google can show you exactly what he said as reported in the international press.

[gcreptile 11,114]

The Mirror has an article about the family trying to prevent the publication of some information.

Interestingly, I can't open it. The article is probably specifically blocked for german IP addresses because the family doesn't fuck around.

[Toast 16,250]

This is the main points of interest:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/michael-schumachers-wife-fights-keep-34329089

 

Quote

 

The family is now reportedly battling to keep details about his health private amidst an ongoing blackmail trial involving his ex-bodyguard. Markus Fritsche - who was employed by Schumacher until around 2021 - stands accused of assisting in the blackmail of the family and allegedly used hundreds of personal photos, videos and the driver's medical records.

 

He has now appeared in court in Germany alongside Yilmaz Tozturkan, a bouncer, and his son, IT specialist Daniel Lins, over the alleged extortion scheme. Tozturkan is accused of threatening to leak family photos on the dark web unless they coughed up £12,000,000 (€15,000,000).

 

Corinna has filed a request for the case to be heard privately, which could result in the public being excluded from the hearing if her husband's health is discussed, as per German newspaper Bild. MailOnline reported that Fritsche allegedly told Tozturkan over a coffee that he was "in possession of this material, and he asked if we could do anything with it.", reports the Daily Record.

 

There's been chatter that the close-knit group around Ferrari legend Schumacher had shown signs of loosening, following reports that he attended his daughter Gina-Maria's wedding to Iain Bethke earlier this year. The 27 year old horseback riding sensation exchanged vows on September 28 at the family's stunning £27million Majorca villa.

 

The German media claimed Schumacher was present at the event, and it's been reported that guests were asked to hand over their phones to stop any photos of Michael from leaking. But this information has been contested by Schumachers long-time friend, Johnny Herbert.

 

Speaking to Flashscore, ex-F1 driver and Le Mans champ Herbert labelled the rumour as 'fake news', stating: "It will always be a closed shop. The most recent rumour was he attended his daughter's wedding. Unfortunately, from what I understand that was all A1 fake news and no truth in it."

 

Neurosurgeon Jussi Posti also added his voice to the mix, casting doubts on the rumours considering Schumacher's health status. While acknowledging Schumacher's past travel between his home and the Majorca property, Posti shared his reservations with Iltalehti (as reported by Marca).

 

"If a hospital has been built in his house, with everything medicalised around him, it seems that he has been in hospital most of the time," the doctor commented. "Based on the information available, I don't think he leads a very active life. Everything points to him being unwell. As bedridden patients, most people become so frail and stiff that it is no longer possible to get them out of bed after so many years."

 

 

 

 

[gcreptile 11,114]

Thanks, Toast, interesting, but not that much news for our purposes.

[Sod's Law 477]

If it turns out he's actually never left his house in all this time (with lots of hospital equipment keeping his body alive), signs are pointing towards a Terri Schiavo type situation here. I would have guessed before that his condition was very similar to Jimmy's, but at least Jimmy was able to be wheeled into the garden to watch his birthday flyby. 

[RoverAndOut 4,759]

So...I've not followed every twist and turn of the whispers and rumours around Schumacher's condition over the years but to the best of our knowledge do we have any evidence that he has some level of consciousness? Is the mind willing but the body crippled? Is he in a vegetative state? Or is the truth somewhere in between? I mean, why would there be rumours of a comatose patient attending his daughter's wedding? Who is gaining anything at all from that? (And I do see that the wedding rumours may be false anyway, but how would they become so widespread if he was, indeed, a vegetable?)

[Sod's Law 477]

16 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

So...I've not followed every twist and turn of the whispers and rumours around Schumacher's condition over the years but to the best of our knowledge do we have any evidence that he has some level of consciousness? Is the mind willing but the body crippled? Is he in a vegetative state? Or is the truth somewhere in between? I mean, why would there be rumours of a comatose patient attending his daughter's wedding? Who is gaining anything at all from that? (And I do see that the wedding rumours may be false anyway, but how would they become so widespread if he was, indeed, a vegetable?)

This is the terrifying thing. The way I see it, at best he has locked-in syndrome and can't move or communicate with the outside world at all. He might have been living a nightmare for many years and have no way of expressing himself.  

[The Old Crem 3,656]

To become a grandfather. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-14220919/Michael-Schumacher-grandfather-daughter-Gina-baby-Formula-One.html

[maryportfuncity 10,708]

On 17/12/2024 at 21:17, RoverAndOut said:

So...I've not followed every twist and turn of the whispers and rumours around Schumacher's condition over the years but to the best of our knowledge do we have any evidence that he has some level of consciousness? Is the mind willing but the body crippled? Is he in a vegetative state? Or is the truth somewhere in between? I mean, why would there be rumours of a comatose patient attending his daughter's wedding? Who is gaining anything at all from that? (And I do see that the wedding rumours may be false anyway, but how would they become so widespread if he was, indeed, a vegetable?)

 

 

There's no question he suffered a significant brain injury and the medical problems are mainly to do with that. Clearly, someone so immobile for so long gathers physical problems too and Schumi's case will involve complex care needs. If you look at the level of brain injuries from which other sports people have recovered - like Michael Watson - you have to assume Schumacher is in much worse shape than that. Whether that's locked in syndrome is a whole other question. Schumacher suffered significant head injury with the force of impact spread across his skull and - therefore - the outside of his brain, so it's much more likely that he's badly impaired to the state much of his personality is gone and he hasn't got the kind of locked in situation where self-awareness is tied to a body that won't respond. Coincidentally, on the night that news broke I was at a gathering where one of the guests was a consultant psychiatrist who worked with head injured people, the first reports suggested Schumacher had had a bad accident but was on his way to the best medical attention and my mate said instantly that the outcome would be way worse than those first reports suggested. 

[Lafaucheuse 4,099]

On 17/12/2024 at 15:23, Sod's Law said:

If it turns out he's actually never left his house in all this time (with lots of hospital equipment keeping his body alive), signs are pointing towards a Terri Schiavo type situation here. I would have guessed before that his condition was very similar to Jimmy's, but at least Jimmy was able to be wheeled into the garden to watch his birthday flyby. 

As I said before, I knew a neurosurgeon who worked on Schumacher when he was first admited to the hospital in my hometown : the man is a vegetable. From what I know it’s pretty much a Schiavo situation if not worse (meaning intubated to breathe, eat, and drink). The man I knew couldn’t tell much at first but every once in a while (like tonight) I ask my sister who gives me pieces of information (not relevant most of the time) 

[arrowsmith 461]

2 hours ago, Lafaucheuse said:

As I said before, I knew a neurosurgeon who worked on Schumacher when he was first admited to the hospital in my hometown : the man is a vegetable. From what I know it’s pretty much a Schiavo situation if not worse (meaning intubated to breathe, eat, and drink). The man I knew couldn’t tell much at first but every once in a while (like tonight) I ask my sister who gives me pieces of information (not relevant most of the time) 

I think after a decade the testimony of a physician who treated him at the time of his injury can be safely disregarded. The idea that vegetative states are permanent has been thoroughly debunked. Let’s all agree we have no idea how cognitively impaired this man is and leave it at that. 

[Sod's Law 477]

10 hours ago, arrowsmith said:

I think after a decade the testimony of a physician who treated him at the time of his injury can be safely disregarded. The idea that vegetative states are permanent has been thoroughly debunked. Let’s all agree we have no idea how cognitively impaired this man is and leave it at that. 

I want to agree, but there is just no coming back from severe catastrophic brain injury for most people, and a Schiavo situation would be barely any better than being completely brain dead. If his injuries were that severe 11 years ago, the chances are extremely slim that he'll be much better today, especially with the extreme level of secrecy about it going around. At the very least, we can probably state that he's been robbed of the ability to communicate or some statement on his behalf would have come out after all this time. 

[Brad252 822]

As I've said before, if I were in the situation Schumacher appears to be in, I'd have preferred to die. Not even all the money in the world can buy miracles.