Fears are growing that Michael Schumacher could remain in a
'persistent vegetative state' for the rest of his life even if he wakes up from
his coma.
The Formula One legend has been in intensive care since his
skiing accident in France nearly four weeks ago.
He was placed into an artificially induced coma shortly
after the crash to help his brain heal, but such measures normally last only a
maximum of two weeks.
Jean-Marc Orgogozo, Professor of Neurology at the University
of Bordeaux, said: 'Every day, every week in a coma the chances decline that
the situation is improving'.
One Austrian website reported Schumacher, 45, may suffer
from Apallic Syndrome or persistent vegetative state.
But his family insisted he was a 'fighter' as they poured
out their heartfelt thanks to fans around the world on his webpage on Tuesday.
'We all know: he is a fighter and will not give up!' said
his family, adding: 'We are deeply moved that there is no let up in the good
wishes for Michael from around the world.
'That gives us strength. Thank you all of you!'
But the support of his wife Corinne, 44, his two teenaged
children, brother and closest friends cannot mask the fact that 23 days in an
artificial coma means that he is far from anywhere near recovery.
A persistent vegetative state is one in which patients with
severe brain damage are in a state of partial arousal rather than true
awareness.
This means that if doctors do bring him out of his
artificially induced coma he would be unable to speak, move or feed himself.
The format.at news website said; 'More than three weeks
after the tragic skiing accident of the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion
Michael Schumacher, hope dwindle for a
full recovery.
'For more than three weeks now Schumacher lies in a
medically induced coma at the University Hospital in Grenoble.
He is fed there with probes, washed daily and moved again
and again to avoid a bed sores.'
It goes on to speculate that the 'severe damage' he suffered
to his brain in a ski accident on December 29 could result in the permanent
vegative state suffered by around 10,000 of his German countrymen.
This would mean, if and when he is brought out of the coma
by his medical team, 'that his condition would hardly be different from the
medically induced coma'.
Apallic Syndrome is always the result of a severe brain
injury. The chance of recovery from Apallic Syndrome are far below 50 per
cent.'
Schumacher's condition remains stable but there is a
firewall of silence from his medical team about the intense battle being waged
to try to bring him back to normality.
Brain injury patients are placed into artificial comas to
reduce the amount of oxygen that flows into the brain, thus making it work less
and giving it time to heal.
Such comas usually last for a maximum of two weeks, although
there have been instances of patients being under longer.
As Schumacher enters his fourth week in such a state
neurological experts are starting to doubt whether he might ever recover
sufficiently to be brought out of his sleep.
Meanwhile, his family have paid tribute to Bundesliga sides
Cologne and Schalke on the Formula One legend’s official website.
Players from both sides held up a banner which read ‘Get
Well Soon! You can do it, Michael’ prior to their friendly on Saturday in
honour of the 45-year-old German, who is a Cologne supporter.
The message from the seven-time champion’s family is the
first in over a fortnight and comes just days after it was confirmed that he is
in a stable condition at Grenoble Hospital.
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