michael schumacher fans 1
Fans show their support for Michael Schumacher on his 45th birthday. Reuters

Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher has been under an induced coma since his freak skiing accident on December 29th. According to German reports, Schumacher's condition remains too critical for any plans to wake him. However, as the former racing driver has yet to show significant signs of improvement after two weeks, the window for recovery has become dangerously narrow. Doctors fear Schumacher may be in a coma for the rest of his life.

Doctors placed Michael Schumacher under an induced coma to reduce the amount of oxygen necessary for the brain to function. Having the brain work less allows Schumacher an opportunity to recover from the heavy injuries sustained. Patients placed under induced comas are usually brought out from them in a matter of one or two weeks.

However, Schumacher's condition is no where near sufficient to be woken. According to German media, the risk of brain hemorrhage is extremely high, which is why doctors still classify Michael Schumacher's condition as critically ill. As the third week approaches, doctors fear the worst.

"Brain injuries are among the most complicated injuries that can happen to the human body," explained Professor Andreas Zieger, a neurosurgeon of the university Clinic for neurosurgery in Oldenburg. "Predictions about how long a person might be in a coma or potential complications are seldom reliable."

However, in the event that Michael Schumacher manages to emerge from his coma, doctors also warn that Schumacher will not be the man he used to be. "Depending on where bleeding has taken place can lead to unilateral paralysis, speech disorders or personality changes," warned Cologne neurological expert Professor Gereon Fink.

Consultant neurologist Richard Greenwood of London's Homerton Hospital says in the event Schumacher regains consciousness, he likely will become an average "Joe Bloggs," instead of the superstar seven-time world champion he once was.

"If Schumacher survives he will not be Schumacher. He will be Bloggs. And his rehabilitation will only be effective if he comes to terms with being Bloggs - and fulfills what Bloggs can do," Greenwood told a group of doctors and reporters. "That's a very, very difficult process to take people through - and many people don't achieve it."