Jannik Schewes was once a promising talent, but an accident more than eight years ago left him so badly injured that today he still needs care. The DFB foundation has been covering the costs of this treatment for years and thankfully, Jannik is doing better each day and on Sunday’s even has the chance to return to the football pitch.
Almost eight and a half years after his accident, Jannik Schewes is preparing his next steps. The brain injury he suffered has left him in a wheelchair, and just walking is a huge challenge for him. But here in the rehab clinic in Kaiserslautern, where his mother travels 72km each day from their family home in Saarland, Jannik is determined to make his comeback.
Doctors didn’t give him any chance of survival, he was drip-fed for months and couldn’t speak, but today he's very different because he never ever gives up. “Marcel wants exactly what I want,” says Jannik - Marcel Felske and Rainer Mayer Gukenbiehl are his physiotherapists. His family are accompanying him on this long journey, which will see his condition improve, but will not lead to a full recovery. His mother, Karin Schewes, used to be a nurse and now looks after her son full-time, while his dad Hubert Schewes always accompanies him to his therapy in the evenings, so his mother can prepare dinner. Even Manuel, who’s three years older than his younger brother, looks after Jannik. On Sundays, Jannik always goes to watch SV Altheim and when they win, they always celebrate with Jannik.
On the day of the departure to Brazil in the summer of 2014, the DFB invited Jannik to the offices in France. Jannik says “it was great that the national team coach and Oliver Bierhoff took the time to chat with me for a bit.” Their family house was reconstructed and the Sepp Herberger DFB charity has been taking care of the costs for years. The funds come directly from the inheritance which Eva and Sepp Herberger left behind.
Karin Schewes remembers that even as toddler, her son always used to bring a football along on walks. At twelve, he was one of the most promising talents in Saarland with Erik Durm, Jonas Hector and Patrick Herrmann. He used to train with the DFB camp in Ostsaarland in Limbach, “Jannik was an impressive player, he knew the opposition and was technically strong,” notes his former coach Marc Zimmer, who still works with Jannik, but in a different way – on a special treadmill at the Olympic Centre in Saarbrücken. His old coach challenges him and gives him confidence says Hubert Schewes.
The accident happened early evening on the 17th of July 2008. Hubert Schewes was sitting on his terrace when his phone rang. Jannik had visited a friend and was on his bike on his way to church where he was the alter boy, when a car travelling 80 kilometres per hour hit him. The driver of the vehicle didn’t want, nor was able to make a testimony in court as he was receiving psychological treatment and couldn’t remember anything from the incident, says Hubert Schewes.
The church is just 153 metres from his parents’ house and the insurance company refused to pay. For the family to have received money, the accident would have had to have taken place no more than ten times the distance between his parents’ house and his destination. Ten times 153 meters is 1.5 kilometres, but his friend lived 4.3 kilometres away. His family went all the way to the constitutional court which also refused an exception to be allowed. Hubert Schewes says “the football family helped us a lot and continues to do so.”
He also says “my son has the heart of a lion,” and when you ask him how him and his wife manage it all, he says “it’s down to Jannik, he does it all.” During the week he trains every day at a specialist neurological centre in Kaiserslautern from nine in the morning until one in the afternoon - weight training, gymnastics, fine motor skills in particular for his right hand, concentration activities on a computer and movement training on a bike. “I’ve never had a day when I’ve said to my mum, I don’t want to train today,” says Jannik. The Saarland Ministry of Culture sent a teacher to his house on Mondays and Fridays, and on Saturdays an older teacher gives him a private lesson voluntarily. On Tuesdays he trains on a treadmill in Illingen. He swims and goes horse riding on Saturdays and Sundays.
Jannik severed nerve endings and tore multiple muscle fibres in the accident. He had to work hard to regain his ability to speak. He was often able to answer questions correctly and retain factual pieces of information but he often found it difficult to actually carry a normal conversation by himself. He used to learn shopping lists off by heart. Now he plays on a driving simulator on the computer and he has to react to traffic light signals and road signs. He also has to look out for cyclists. Jannik says that he loves the challenge of this game. But does he drive as well as Father Hubert? “No, I can’t drive as well as him,” he answered, whilst focusing very hard on the simulator. “But I’m getting there,” said Jannik whilst laughing.
Jannik Schewes was once a promising talent, but an accident more than eight years ago left him so badly injured that today he still needs care. The DFB foundation has been covering the costs of this treatment for years and thankfully, Jannik is doing better each day and on Sunday’s even has the chance to return to the football pitch.
Almost eight and a half years after his accident, Jannik Schewes is preparing his next steps. The brain injury he suffered has left him in a wheelchair, and just walking is a huge challenge for him. But here in the rehab clinic in Kaiserslautern, where his mother travels 72km each day from their family home in Saarland, Jannik is determined to make his comeback.
Doctors didn’t give him any chance of survival, he was drip-fed for months and couldn’t speak, but today he's very different because he never ever gives up. “Marcel wants exactly what I want,” says Jannik - Marcel Felske and Rainer Mayer Gukenbiehl are his physiotherapists. His family are accompanying him on this long journey, which will see his condition improve, but will not lead to a full recovery. His mother, Karin Schewes, used to be a nurse and now looks after her son full-time, while his dad Hubert Schewes always accompanies him to his therapy in the evenings, so his mother can prepare dinner. Even Manuel, who’s three years older than his younger brother, looks after Jannik. On Sundays, Jannik always goes to watch SV Altheim and when they win, they always celebrate with Jannik.
On the day of the departure to Brazil in the summer of 2014, the DFB invited Jannik to the offices in France. Jannik says “it was great that the national team coach and Oliver Bierhoff took the time to chat with me for a bit.” Their family house was reconstructed and the Sepp Herberger DFB charity has been taking care of the costs for years. The funds come directly from the inheritance which Eva and Sepp Herberger left behind.
Karin Schewes remembers that even as toddler, her son always used to bring a football along on walks. At twelve, he was one of the most promising talents in Saarland with Erik Durm, Jonas Hector and Patrick Herrmann. He used to train with the DFB camp in Ostsaarland in Limbach, “Jannik was an impressive player, he knew the opposition and was technically strong,” notes his former coach Marc Zimmer, who still works with Jannik, but in a different way – on a special treadmill at the Olympic Centre in Saarbrücken. His old coach challenges him and gives him confidence says Hubert Schewes.
The accident happened early evening on the 17th of July 2008. Hubert Schewes was sitting on his terrace when his phone rang. Jannik had visited a friend and was on his bike on his way to church where he was the alter boy, when a car travelling 80 kilometres per hour hit him. The driver of the vehicle didn’t want, nor was able to make a testimony in court as he was receiving psychological treatment and couldn’t remember anything from the incident, says Hubert Schewes.
The church is just 153 metres from his parents’ house and the insurance company refused to pay. For the family to have received money, the accident would have had to have taken place no more than ten times the distance between his parents’ house and his destination. Ten times 153 meters is 1.5 kilometres, but his friend lived 4.3 kilometres away. His family went all the way to the constitutional court which also refused an exception to be allowed. Hubert Schewes says “the football family helped us a lot and continues to do so.”
He also says “my son has the heart of a lion,” and when you ask him how him and his wife manage it all, he says “it’s down to Jannik, he does it all.” During the week he trains every day at a specialist neurological centre in Kaiserslautern from nine in the morning until one in the afternoon - weight training, gymnastics, fine motor skills in particular for his right hand, concentration activities on a computer and movement training on a bike. “I’ve never had a day when I’ve said to my mum, I don’t want to train today,” says Jannik. The Saarland Ministry of Culture sent a teacher to his house on Mondays and Fridays, and on Saturdays an older teacher gives him a private lesson voluntarily. On Tuesdays he trains on a treadmill in Illingen. He swims and goes horse riding on Saturdays and Sundays.
Jannik severed nerve endings and tore multiple muscle fibres in the accident. He had to work hard to regain his ability to speak. He was often able to answer questions correctly and retain factual pieces of information but he often found it difficult to actually carry a normal conversation by himself. He used to learn shopping lists off by heart. Now he plays on a driving simulator on the computer and he has to react to traffic light signals and road signs. He also has to look out for cyclists. Jannik says that he loves the challenge of this game. But does he drive as well as Father Hubert? “No, I can’t drive as well as him,” he answered, whilst focusing very hard on the simulator. “But I’m getting there,” said Jannik whilst laughing.
