Jules Bianchi remains in a coma six months after the 25-year-old Marussia driver sustained a severe head trauma in the horrendous accident which occurred in last year's rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix when his car collided with a tractor.
Jules' father, Philippe Bianchi, daily visits his son who remains in the care of neurosurgeons in Nice, but progress remains slow and incredibly painful to endure for the entire Bianchi family.
“Jules is fighting with all his energy, like he always has, before and after the accident, " Philippe Bianchi told French newspaper Nice-Matin. "Every day, he's running a marathon. From a medical perspective, his condition is stable. He is fairly autonomous, as all organs are functioning properly, without any assistance. But, he remains in a coma for now.”
As members of the Bianchi family take turns at his side, with a daily presence destined to stimulate Jules, the affliction and hardship is felt by all.
"Future projects have been replaced with questions no one can answer," confides Philippe Bianchi. "Is he going to pull through, and if so will he be handicapped or will he be able to lead a normal life ? To be perfectly honest, this kind of accident deals a bigger blow than actual death, because the pain is endless - a daily torture.”
In spite of the uncertainty surrounding his son's condition, Philippe Bianchi remains hopeful Jules' predicament can evolve favourably.
"From time to time, at his bedside, we see that things are happening. At times, he is more active, he moves more, his hand shakes - but is it a mere reflex reaction or real ? It’s hard to know. We surround him with all our love and pass on the kind words from all the people who have been sending messages. And in return, he gives us the energy and the determination to carry on fighting by his side.”
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