Corinna Schumacher's heartfelt letter to Sascha Herchenbach: "Michael is a fighter who will not give up"

Corinna Schumacher, wife of Scuderia Ferrari and Formula 1 legend Michael, has paid an emotional tribute to her “fighter” husband almost five years on from his tragic ski accident. The seven-time Formula One world champion is said to be receiving around-the-clock care and treatment from a team of doctors and nurses at a luxury home in Switzerland. On December 29, 2013, Michael suffered life-threatening injuries on the French Alps, where he was holidaying with friends and family.

The German sporting icon was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital after hitting his head on a rock, requiring ‘immediate neurosurgical intervention’ and underwent two life-saving operations. Had he have not worn a helmet, he might have died. Schumacher then remained in a coma, with doctors describing his condition as ‘extremely serious’ the day after his admission. The 49-year-old’s health condition has been closely guarded by his family and management since.

But a never-seen-before letter penned by his devoted wife of 23 years Corinna has now emerged. In the heartfelt note, she hails her husband as a “fighter” who “will not give up”, as the letter was written to German musician Sascha Herchenbach after he composed a hymn dedicated to Schumacher titled ‘Born to Fight’. Herchenbach sent the CD of the song to Corinna and was not expecting a reply – but she sent him a sincere thank you note as a mark of her family’s appreciation.

“We all know that Michael is a fighter,” she wrote in the letter – “I would like to sincerely thank you for your message and nice gift that will help us through this difficult time. It is good to receive so many kind wishes and other well-intentioned words – which is a great support for our family.”

Sascha Herchenbach recorded the song a year after Michael Schumacher’s accident and the date of Corinna’s correspondence has not been made public, but the musician has revealed the contents of the letter in an interview with German magazine Bunte: “I had not expected to get an answer and was overwhelmed. The letter was handwritten and signed by Corinna on her stationery. She wrote that she was very thankful for the gift and helped her and her family over this difficult time.” – he added.

Just last week, a posted was released to raise funds for Michael Schumacher’s Keep Fighting Foundation. It depicted his stunning career – in which he won 91 races – with the word ‘Champion’ at the bottom, marked by each of his F1 world title triumphs.