Ex-Formula 1 driver Rubens Barrichello revealed during an interview aired on Brazilian television how he nearly succumbed to cancer earlier this year and believes that only a miracle kept him alive.
During an interview with Globo TV presenter Pedro Bial, 45-year-old Barrichello revealed, "I had a benign vascular tumour in my neck and it is really a miracle that I am alive."
"One Saturday [in January] I woke up and had a shower, suddenly I felt a terrible headache - on the scale of zero to ten it was a nine - next thing I found myself on the floor. I did not want to wake anyone, so I dragged myself back to bed but the pain was excruciating."
"Luckily Silvana (his wife) was there and she called a doctor friend who immediately sensed the gravity of the situation. I'm lucky, I was immediately taken to hospital and within two hours I was operated on whereupon they found the malignant vein and sorted it out."
"They took really good care of me and when I was discharged they explained that only 14% of patients with similar symptoms ever recover. I am feeling great and still undergoing therapy and so on. The difficulties in life are the ones which show us how to grow and how to be a better person."
"I am so thankful and I thank God for the opportunity," added the popular Brazilian driver who made 322 grand prix starts, winning 11 of those before quitting after the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix.
He was Michael Schumacher's teammate at Ferrari for six years during an era of dominance for the Italian team and during his 18 year career in F1 also drove for Jordan, Stewart, Honda, Brawn and Williams.
Since the health scare Barrichello has returned to racing in the Stock Car Brazil series where he was champion with Full Time Sports team in 2014 and lies third in this year's championship after three rounds.
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