One of the doctors attending to the medical needs of Michael Schumacher has brushed aside the rumors that the legendary racer is the subject of an experiment. The Formula 1 champion was reported to have received stem-cell treatment that supposedly will reduce inflammation, but no further details on the procedure have been provided.
Schumacher had a serious accident while on a skiing holiday in December 2013 that left him paralyzed due to brain injuries. The sportsman has not been seen in public since, and information on his health status has been closely guarded on request of the Schumacher family.
In recent weeks, however, reports came out that the ace Ferrari driver sought treatment at a Paris hospital and under the care of Dr. Philippe Menasche and his team. According to Yahoo Sports, Menasche performed the surgery that saw Schumacher receiving "transfusions of inflammation-reducing stem cells.
It is understood the ailing Schumacher was attended to by Menasche twice and on each occasion had underwent the same procedure.
The doctor said that as the kind of stem-cell treatment given to his celebrity patient, "there is still a lot to learn."
Menasche, who Yahoo said is a professor at the University of Alabama, also dismissed that the rumors that the treatment being received by Schumacher is part of an experiment.
"My team and I are not doing an experiment, an abominable term that is not in line with a serious medical view," the doctor declared, adding, "I do not perform miracles."
In a related story by The Sun, a medical staff working at the Georges-Pompidou hospital in Paris reportedly admitted that Schumacher was admitted at the institution twice this year and was registered under a false name to protect the patient's privacy.
A small medical team provided care for the German, and one member, a nurse, had intimated being of the team.
"He (Schumacher) is in my service ... And I can assure you that he is conscious," the nurse was reported as saying.
Such an update though came few and far between as the Schumacher family remained adamant on its stand to keep their personal affairs, the health status of Schumacher including, a secret. The family, led by Michael's wife Corinna, has been consistent in saying that anything about Schumacher's medical situation is a private matter.
Ross Brawn of Formula One completely supports the family's stand, saying, "I totally agree with their decision."
"Michael has always been a very private person and that's been a guiding principle in his career, his life and his family always agreed with that choice ... It's completely understandable that Corinna has wanted to maintain the same approach, even after the tragic event, and it's a decision we must all respect," Brawn, who heads F1 Motorsport division, was reported by Fox Sports as saying.
