Former Formula One racing champion Michael Schumacher is already out of his coma, but it is still uncertain whether he will fully recover.
In a report by Christian Times, Schumacher fell into a coma after he had an accident and hit his head while skiing in the Swiss Alps in December 2013.
Dr. Jean-Francois Payen, the doctor who treated the racecar driver in Grenoble, France, confirmed Schumacher's improved state. Schumacher was released from a Swiss hospital in September 2014 to continue recovery at home. According to Dr. Payen, he visited his patient in his house in Switzerland to check on his progress. Payen observed that Schumacher underwent certain progress but is a long way from full recovery. His family has not given any updates yet regarding his condition while doctors have different theories and opinions on his continued recovery.
Previously, Dr. Payen said in a Telegraph report that a serious head injury like what Schumacher experienced had different stages of recovery. The timescale for recovery will last anywhere between one and three years, according to Payen. A friend of Schumacher also reportedly told The Express that the racer is awake for periods and able to nod his head slightly. It is still unknown whether he can speak or walk again. What is clear according to insiders and physicians is that he will never physically recover completely to his state before the accident.
In the same Christian Times report, Dr. Gary Hartstein cautioned that that Schumacher's being out of a coma does not indicate real progress, since the coma was artificially induced in the first place. He added that if the racer arose from his minimally conscious state before the coma, he would have made progress in terms of communication or movement. Since no such improvements have been noted, it might be Shumacher's "long goodbye".
In a report by The Telegraph, Michael's family said that they are still confident that he will fully return to optimum condition. The former No. 1 driver in the world's website has been relaunched by his family on November 13. The online site has remained inactive in December 2013. The relaunching marks the 20th anniversary of his first Formula One championship. According to Shumacher's management, the website, Michael-Schumacher.de, will serve as a home for his racing fans worldwide.
The hashtag #KeepFightingMichael was also created for and share their support and sympathies to the recovering legend.