Sports fans around the world were shocked before the New Year upon hearing the news that Michael Schumacher got into a critical skiing accident that led him to a coma. Schumacher, who turned 45 at the hospital, hit a rock while skiing and landed with his head first on a boulder.

He's been fighting for his life ever since, with his doctors saying his condition is "critical, but stable." The media has stopped reporting about Schumacher's situation after a plea of privacy by Schumacher's wife but fans worldwide still continue to fear for the wellbeing of the F1 champion.

According to one of UK's top neurosurgeons, fans fearing the athlete's condition were expected as the future that awaits Schumacher will be very different if and when he wakes up from coma. "If Schumacher survives, he won't be Schumacher," Richard Greenwood, consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at London's Homerton Hospital, said.

"He will be Bloggs. His rehabilitation will be effective only if he comes into terms with being Bloggs and fulfills what Bloggs can do." Greenwood shared results of a new study about the long-term effects of brain trauma. "It's a very, very hard process to take people through and many don't achieve it."

Brain injury survivors are reportedly three times more likely to die prematurely than the general population, with parts of the brain responsible for decision-making, judgment and risk-taking to blame. Germany experts raised fears of an even more terrifying scenario that Schumacher may not recover his consciousness again.

Andreas Zieger, another neurosurgeon of the University of Oldenburg, believed Schumacher's injuries may have been worse than ever and the danger of a brain hemorrhage is still high.

"There may have been some complications but we should not speculate here. Ultimately, this is about life and death," he added.

"A coma can be maintained for a lifetime in theory. It will not hurt the human brain. However, brain injuries are one of the most complicated that can happen to a human body. Predictions about how long a man can be in a coma or its potential complications are seldom reliable."