Michael Schumacher may never wake up from coma

Fans gather outside the Grenoble University Hospital Centre to mark the 45th birthday of former German Formula One driver Michael Schumacher who is being treated for a severe head injury following a skiing accident on Sunday in Meribel on January 3, 2014 in Grenoble, France.

Michael Schumacher may remain in a state of coma for the rest of his life, the Daily Mail is reporting.

German news magazines ‘Focus’ and ‘Bild’ have spoken with neurological experts, who have discussed their views based on reports of Schumacher’s condition. These experts have revealed that his condition is so grave that there are currently no plans to wake him.

Schumacher, 44, has been in an artificially induced state of coma for the past 18 days so as to help his brain recover from the injury he sustained in an accident on a ski field in the French Alps on December 29.

“There may have been complications. We should not speculate here. Ultimately, we are talking about life and death. A coma can in theory be maintained for a lifetime. It won’t hurt the human brain,” said neurosurgeon Andreas Zieger of the University Clinic for neurosurgery in Oldenburg to Focus magazine.

“Brain injuries are among the most complicated injuries that can happen to the human body. Predictions about how long a person might be in a coma or potential complications are seldom reliable,” he added.