Schumacher ‘conscious’ and seeing F1 friends after stem cell treatment
MOTOR racing legend Michael Schumacher has been visited by his former F1 colleagues after pioneering stem cell treatment.
The 50-year-old German was said to be conscious after the procedure in Paris earlier this week.
On Tuesday, he was seen recuperating with Jean Todt, who recruited the seventime world champion for the Scuderia Ferrari team.
Schumacher, who suffered severe brain damage in a skiing accident almost six years ago, was admitted to the George Pompidou Hospital on Monday.
According to Le Parisien newspaper, he has undergone a surgical procedure involving the transfusion of stem cells to help reduce inflammation.
“Yes, he’s in my care and I can assure you that he’s conscious,” a female member of staff in the hospital’s cardiology unit told the newspaper yesterday. Le Parisien also revealed that Todt visited Schumacher – who had a record 91 Grand Prix wins – for around 45 minutes.
Earlier that day, Todt had attended the funeral of F2 driver Anthoine Hubert in the French city of Chartres.
The 22-year-old died in a track accident at SpaFrancorchamps in Belgium on August 30.
It is thought that other former F1 drivers who attended the funeral, just 60 miles from Paris, also used the opportunity to visit Schumacher. His spokeswoman Sabine Kehm declined to comment.
Full details of Schumacher’s treatment will remain secret for confidentiality reasons.
Following his near-fatal brain injury in December 2013, the star was placed in a drug-induced coma, from which he later emerged.
Since September 2014, he has received round-theclock care at his home in Switzerland.