Michael Schumacher Making Progress 17 Months After Ski Accident

Michael Schumacher is reportedly finally making progress since his catastrophic skiing accident in December of 2013, which at first led him to be in a coma for several months and has since seen him struggle to move or speak.

Sabine Kehm, who was Michael Schumacher’s manager during his long and storied career, confirmed that the seven-time world champion has been showing signs of improvement.

According to TVNZ, Kehm made her comments during a video interview that was released on Friday to promote a sponsor. She insisted, via the Mirror, “We are pleased to say that he is making progress, and I say that always, given the severity of his head injuries.”

This comes just a few short weeks after reports that Schumacher’s wife, Corinna Schumacher, had decided to sell her husbands’s $40 million holiday home and private plane after she realized that he would never be in a fit state to use either of them functionally again.

Schumacher, who throughout his career racing for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes won 91 races and is currently the most renowned driver in Formula One history, suffered his injury while he was on holiday in the French Alps.

As the motor sport icon was skiing with his 14-year-old son, Schumacher went off-piste before then falling and smashing his head onto a rock, which culminated in him receiving extensive head injuries despite the fact that he was wearing a ski helmet.

Schumacher was then put into a medically induced coma because of the severe brain trauma, but by April he was showing “moments of consciousness.” In September, 2014, he was taken back to his home where he has since been receiving round-the-clock medical treatment, while his condition has still left him “paralysed and in a wheelchair” and he is also unable to speak and has memory problems.

[Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images]