More than three weeks on from his skiing accident, Michael Schumacher remains comatose at Grenoble Hospital.
As my idol since the age of seven, initially, I felt compelled to speak out.
But quickly and wisely, as an aspiring journalist, I concluded it was best to sit back and allow nature to take its course.
Which by extension, meant refraining from social media.
The #Schumacher Twitter feed in the subsequent twenty-four to forty-eight hours was disturbingly polarising, depending on whose posts you read, dozens of conclusions could be gleaned.
The public has been privy to official updates from the Schumacher camp on a painfully sporadic, yet reassuring basis.
Initially, there was description of a “slight improvement”, while the latest update omitted the word “critical” from the German’s status, which provided cause for optimism.
However, there comes a point when stories emanating from “medical experts” that Schumacher has been in a coma for too long to recover, that one cannot remain silent.
The same stories which appeared a week ago, with experts claiming a coma lasting beyond two weeks is bad news for long-term recovery, leading to sensationalised headlines such as “Schumacher could spend life in coma”, have been dredged up.
Now we have reports detailing a coma lasting beyond three weeks is bad news, and that Schumacher is feared to be in a “permanent vegetative state.”
Yes, statistics do say that the longer the period spent comatose reduce the chances of long-term recovery, but as an isolated incident, until an official statement is made, nothing is definite.
Every case has to be treated objectively, only those treating Schumacher, his immediate family and close friends are aware of his true state.
This is the problem with modern technology, in an effort to garner instant hits, the most drastic headlines are commonplace.
Spare a thought for his wife Corinna and their children Gina-Marie and Mick, who as well as dealing with their husband and father fighting for his life, despite their pleas to be left alone, have to endure relentless scrutiny.
It is under these circumstances which any honest person cannot be proud to be a journalist.
If circumstances were different and an individual based in the media encountered a similar situation, it would be the last thing you’d want to deal with.
We are talking about Michael Schumacher, but he is just as human as each of us.
Whatever the outcome is, the bottom line is that every effort is being made to save the life of a man who has delivered so much joy to the masses, we owe it to his doctors and family to leave them in peace.
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