Michael Schumacher, with the help of his wife Corinna, has managed to sign a helmet which is set to be auctioned for charity.
The Formula 1 legend pulled off the beautiful act despite his long recovery from a tragic skiing accident. The racing superstar, who has been receiving round-the-clock care since his skiing accident in December 2013, inscribed his initials 'MS' on the unique white and tartan helmet.
Before being auctioned off to aid the charity Race Against Dementia – founded by Sir Jackie Stewart due to his wife Helen's battle with the disease – the helmet is set to be showcased at the Bahrain Grand Prix this Sunday. Stewart, 85, is gearing up to take his 1973 championship-winning Tyrrell car for a spin around the circuit just before the Grand Prix kicks off.
Commenting on Schumacher's contribution, Sir Jackie expressed to the Daily Mail: "It is wonderful that Michael could sign the helmet in this worthy cause – a disease for which there is no cure," and acknowledged, "His wife helped him, and it completed the set of every single champion still with us.".
Schumacher's world was turned upside down during a trip through the French Alps when he encountered disaster in the form of an exposed rock while off-piste skiing. His collision with the dangerous object led to being propelled into another rock, significantly damaging his helmet upon impact, reports Wales Online.
Although his helmet bore the brunt of the collision, cracking in half, Schumacher was initially conscious following the accident. At that time, aged 44, he bafflingly could not respond coherently to questions and behaved unpredictably, prompting emergency services to airlift him to Moutiers' hospital, followed by an urgent transfer to Grenoble's specialized trauma center.
The seven-time champion was put into a medically induced coma and allowed to return home the following September, but has not been seen in public since. His wife Corinna and a team of medical professionals continue to provide him with 24/7 care.
The Stewart family has also had its own encounters with medical tragedy in recent years. Helen, Sir Jackie's wife for over 60 years, was diagnosed with dementia in 2014 and her condition has progressively deteriorated over the years.
Just last week, he shared the heartbreaking moment when Lady Helen forgot who he was for the first time. Speaking to the BBC, the Scot revealed: "Just the other day it was time for dinner, she's getting up and I'm sitting close by, and she says, 'Where's Jackie?' That's the first time that's happened and that's only a few weeks ago.
"A bad feeling came over me."
He further explained that his wife's mind is now in "a new world" and that she can no longer walk independently due to her condition.
The former Formula One champion also touched on the difficulties brought about by 'sundowning,' a symptom of dementia where the patient becomes restless later in the day as their brain grows tired. Reflecting on its impact on Lady Helen, he said: "I know that Helen doesn't mean it when she suddenly goes round and hits me, or the nurses.
"She can hit somebody quite often, she uses language that she's never ever said in her life and it comes like that [clicks his fingers] and I say, 'darling, darling, don't say that'. She says 'why?' And she'll give me a row for doing that. That's usually after 17:00."
While Sir Jackie is forthcoming about Lady Helen's struggles, the situation with Schumacher has been kept under tight wraps. Corinna Schumacher has devoted herself to protecting her husband's privacy, allowing only a handful of closely trusted individuals access to him.
Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .
For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
