Confirmation of his move came after reports in Germany’s Bild newspaper that he can hear voices and respond to touch. “He can communicate with his environment, especially his wife Corinna and his children. Schumacher’s condition is considered stable enough that he no longer needs the help of specialists in Grenoble,” the paper reported.
“If he has been released from the hospital he was in, it means he is able to support his own breathing and bodily functions,” said Dr Tipu Aziz, a professor of neurosurgery at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
The fact that Schumacher was going into rehabilitation “suggests there has been long-term side effects of his injury”. “With rehabilitation, they will try to train him to cope with the disabilities that he has got,” Dr Aziz said. “He may have weakness in his limbs secondary to loss of brain function. He may have problems with speech and swallowing.”