Actress Natasha Richardson was injured in a skiing accident

[cassiesmom]

Actress Natasha Richardson was in critical condition Tuesday after suffering a traumatic head injury in a ski accident.

There were conflicting reports about how severe the injuries were to Richardson, the wife of actor Liam Neeson.

Friends told the New York Post that she she was "brain dead" -- and that plans were being made to take her off of life support.

But TMZ quoted a hospital official as saying Richardson was sedated and suffering from brain swelling -- but not brain dead.

She apparently showed no signs of physical trauma after she initially fell and tumbled down a beginners trail during a private ski lesson at Mont Tremblant, Usmagazine.com reported.

"She was laughing and joking" after the accident, a spokeswoman told People magazine.

The British-born actress, 45, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the fall but was "accompanied by an experienced ski instructor who immediately called ski patrol," a spokeswoman said.

Richardson "did not show any visible sign of injury" was brought to the bottom of the mountain by the ski patrol, which insisted she see a doctor, the spokeswoman said.

The ski instructor then took Richardson back to her hotel. She began to complain about headache an hour later and was taken to the hospital in an ambluance, Usmagazine.com reported.

Liam Neeson, who was on a movie set in Toronto, rushed to his wife's bedside upon hearing the news.

"We know that she has had an accident but we really do not know any more details," Kika Markham, who is married to Richardson's uncle, Corin Redgrave, told the AP. "We are very concerned."

Richardson, the daughter of celebrated actress Vanessa Redgrave and the late producer Tony Richardson, married Neeson in 1994 after they both appeared in the film "Nell" and they have two sons, Michael 13, and Daniel 12.

Richardson won a Tony award for best actress in a musical in 1998 for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in a 1998 production of "Cabaret." Her film credits include "The Parent Trap" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

In January, Richardson and her mother played the roles of mother and daughter in a one-night benefit concert version of "A Little Night Music," the Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical, at the Nokia Theatre in New York City.

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this is so sad... why, why don't they require newbie skiers to put on a helmet? Even famous newbie skiers.

[lvpets2002]

:( Yes I have been reading about this as well.. That is so sad.. They are flying her into the states now.. I sure hope she recovers.. Lots of Prayers for the Her & the Family..

[happylabs]

She is a wonderful actress and I didn't realize she was married to Liam Neeson. I loved them in the movie Nell. I hope she recovers okay.

[RICHARD]

I like her. Too bad she was so dumb about safety.

Always wear your helmet, the papparazi may not recognize you, but you won't have to go to the hospital.:(

[ramanth]

Reports aren't sounding good. :( Prayers for her and the family.

[pomtzu]

It was reported on GMA this morning, that the family has been gathering at the hospital (to say their good-byes), and they are going to make a statement in a few hours. No - it doesn't sound good at all. There have been reports that she is brain dead and on life support. I pray that this isn't the case.

[lvpets2002]

It was reported on GMA this morning, that the family has been gathering at the hospital (to say their good-byes), and they are going to make a statement in a few hours. No - it doesn't sound good at all. There have been reports that she is brain dead and on life support. I pray that this isn't the case.

:( Yes that is what I heard as well.. I also heard that right after the accident she got up & said she was just fine.. It was a few hours later that she complained of not feeling good & went to the hospital & into a coma.. All so Tragic.. No it does not look good at all.. Sending Lots of Prayers for Her & Family..

[RICHARD]

I didn't know who she was until a few months ago.


I saw her on a cooking show as a judge-She's a very attractive woman and carried herself with the air of being very cultured, yet down to earth.

I hope the reports are not as dire as they seem to be!

[aTailOf2Kitties]

My uncle in law fell and hit his head this past summer and refused to go to the doctor until he suddenly went blind a couple hours later. He didn't make it. It doesn't sound good for Natasha but continued prayers for a recovery nonetheless. :(

[Medusa]

When I fell down just a few steps at the age of 3 and hit my head, it appeared that I was ok, too. It wasn't until a month later that I developed symptoms but by then the damage had been done. As a result of the head trauma, I had developed a blood clot on the brain, had a stroke on the operating table which caused paralysis on my left side and I had to learn to walk and talk all over again. I had grand mal seizures for years after that. I'm ok now (some would disagree, LOL) but a head injury needs to be closely monitored for a good while. My prayers certainly are w/her and her family. How devastating.

[kuhio98]

The reports on her condition vary widely. I've been saying prayers for her. :love: She and Liam Neeson are 2 of my favorites.

[Grace]

It was just announced - she has died. So terrible for her family - especially the two boys.

[Catty1]

She was 45. Too, too young, and such a fluke of an accident. RIP Natasha, and prayers for your family, especially your boys. :love::(


http://breaking-news.ew.com/2009/03/over-the-course.html

[ramanth]

:( RIP Natasha. :(

[Daisy and Delilah]

Rest In Peace Natasha:(

So sad. My heart goes out to her family.:(

[pomtzu]

So very tragic indeed.

Peace to Natasha, and to all of her family and friends during this very difficult time.

[happylabs]

Very shocking that she has passed. She was such a beautiful woman and a very talented actress. Her family must be devastated. I am sure she is an angel in heaven now.

[Marigold2]

Oh Mary I am so sorry. Glad you are ok, yes you are ok.
When I fell down just a few steps at the age of 3 and hit my head, it appeared that I was ok, too. It wasn't until a month later that I developed symptoms but by then the damage had been done. As a result of the head trauma, I had developed a blood clot on the brain, had a stroke on the operating table which caused paralysis on my left side and I had to learn to walk and talk all over again. I had grand mal seizures for years after that. I'm ok now (some would disagree, LOL) but a head injury needs to be closely monitored for a good while. My prayers certainly are w/her and her family. How devastating.

[moosmom]

News reports say she was on the bunny slope!!! They should make a helmet law for beginner skiers.

Such a sad loss.:(

[Catty1]

Donna, she apparently refused a helmet, as well as immediate medical attention. An adult can do that, under law. So preventable, and so tragic. :(

[RICHARD]

One of the things that makes me curious about the whole incident is what part of the head she hit and what she hit, I know it was snow/ice, but it's very interesting that they reported it as a not-so-serious fall.:confused:

[caseysmom]

I was thinking the same thing Richard, its pretty scary. A few years ago there was a case in town at a basketball game where two guys got in a fist fight and one fell down and hit his head and died, just from a fall...its scary as hell.

[lvpets2002]

:confused: I know.. They have not gotten into details.. You know she refused the ambulance at first & she said she was fine.. It was later that she didnt feel good & then went into the Coma.. I will bet she hit her Temple on the side of the head & caused internal head bleeding.. So So Sad.. RIP Natasha.. Prayers for the Family & may God be with Them..
One of the things that makes me curious about the whole incident is what part of the head she hit and what she hit, I know it was snow/ice, but it's very interesting that they reported it as a not-so-serious fall.:confused:

[Catty1]

Some of the nitty gritty on head injuries, even when the skull stays intact:

http://health.lifestyle.yahoo.ca/channel_health_news_details.asp?news_id=17522&news_channel_id=1008&channel_id=1008&relation_id=35177


Dr. Cameron Guest, an intensive care physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, said the apparent progression of Richardson's symptoms are typical of an extradural, or epidural, hematoma.

"This is the kind of injury that can do that sort of thing, where bleeding from an injury to an artery inside the skull leads to compression of the brain," he said. "If blood accumulates inside the skull, because it's a hard space, it can't expand and the brain gets compressed."


Tator said that when blood collects or clots inside the skull, pressure builds up and pushes the brain downward. Unless this aggregation of blood is removed and the pressure released through surgery, the brain stem can become compressed.

"And that's when the serious, generally irreversible damage occurs," Tator said. "So if there has been damage to the brain stem, those people generally don't wake up. They either die or remain in a vegetative state."

According to reports, Richardson appears to have had a period of "lucidity" between her fall and the onset of symptoms. If she then lost consciousness, that interval would have raised a red flag for doctors about the potential course of her condition.

"If they (patients) become comatose after this lucid interval, then you're on a sliding scale of who's going to wake up and who isn't going to wake up from this type of injury," Tator said.

In other words, time is of the essence, he said, noting that the relative closeness of Mont Tremblant to Montreal hospitals with experienced neurosurgeons could have been one factor in Richardson's favour.

That poor family....:(

[Medusa]

Some of the nitty gritty on head injuries, even when the skull stays intact:

http://health.lifestyle.yahoo.ca/channel_health_news_details.asp?news_id=17522&news_channel_id=1008&channel_id=1008&relation_id=35177






That poor family....:(

This surgery is exactly the kind that I underwent. A hole was drilled in the base of my skull to relieve the pressure. Ultimately, it worked but I sure had a lot of problems until I saw improvement. I was only 3 years old so I had youth on my side. Perhaps she wouldn't have been so fortunate. I don't know; I'm just speculating.

[RICHARD]

I was thinking the same thing Richard, its pretty scary. A few years ago there was a case in town at a basketball game where two guys got in a fist fight and one fell down and hit his head and died, just from a fall...its scary as hell.

The same with chest trauma, do you remember a few years ago the kid that was killed when he was hit in the chest with a baseball?

Indeed, it's scary to know that a really freak accident can be so devastating!:(

[pomtzu]

It wouldn't take much of a blow to any part of the head to cause a brain whiplash and bleed. It's amazing how fragile the head and neck really are.

I sneezed and broke my neck, and came within ml of being quadriplegic - or dead. I was fortunate tho - I had 3 major surgeries within a span of 6 months, have titanium rods to hold my vertebrae stable from the base of my skull to between my shoulder blades, was in a neck brace for months, went thru many months of therapy to learn how to walk again, yet still have lasting adverse effects from the whole ordeal. But I'm alive, and it sure beats the alternative! I never would have imagined something so life threatening could happened from something so simple as a sneeze.

I absolutely cringe when I watch the abuse to the head and neck that football players take. Even with their head and neck protection, I'm amazed that there aren't more serious injuries - something I never gave a thought to before my mishap.

Head and neck injuries are definitely nothing to take lightly. What a shame that Natasha didn't seek medical help immediately, even tho she said she was okay. It just may have saved her life.

[Catty1]

Autopsy results :(


Full Article Here: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/090319/topstories/arts_media_richardson_natasha_reaction

Richardson death ruled accident following 'blunt impact to head'

Thu Mar 19, 12:32 PM

SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - British actress Natasha Richardson's death this week was caused by a blunt impact to the head, according to the New York City medical examiner's office.
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The agency conducted an autopsy on the actress, who died Wednesday after falling while at Quebec's Mont Tremblant ski resort two days earlier.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the office, said Thursday the death was ruled an accident, and the cause of death was an "epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head."

An epidural hematoma is a blood clot under the skull caused by a blow to the brain.

The prominent actress sustained what initially appeared to be a benign fall during a private ski lesson on a beginner's slope at Quebec's Mont Tremblant ski resort on Monday afternoon. Though at first she appeared fine, about an hour later Richardson complained of feeling unwell. She was transported to a local hospital by ambulance first before later being transferred to Montreal, where her husband, actor Liam Neeson who had been on a film set in Toronto joined her.

On Tuesday, Richardson was airlifted to New York, where the couple lived with their sons, Micheal and Daniel.

[carole]

How terribly sad and shocking, RIP Natasha, may her family and children find some comfort at this awful time in their lives.

[RICHARD]

And epidural hematoma is a 'bruise' to the surface of the brain. It bleeds and cause the brain to get squeezed in the skull, a subdrual hematoma is an injury to the brain deeper inside.

If she had gone to see a doc they may have had a chance to save her life. Too bad she decided to refuse treatment.:(

[Vio&Juni]

We live in a small town that is a ski resort. I have been skiing without a helmet years ago and this year, only on the beginner slopes. We have been looking at getting helmets for me and Greg and now, we'll definitely do that. People here wear them basically to protect themselves against collisions with other skiers, I have never thought you need them when you just fall down. I was relying only on my ability to lift my head as I was falling (I only fell once). For poor Natasha Richardson once was enough.

I am so sorry for her and her family. It's so horrible that her two kids will have to grow up without her.

[RICHARD]

We live in a small town that is a ski resort. I have been skiing without a helmet years ago and this year, only on the beginner slopes. We have been looking at getting helmets for me and Greg and now, we'll definitely do that.


Please get helmets.

I have had two M/C crashes that would have severely injured me had I not been wearing a helmet.

A cheap helmet, for any sports activity, is good, if you have the means, PLEASE, PLEASE spend the extra dollars for a good, well fitted 'brain bucket'!

Ask for help when you are fitted with one and if-heaven forbid-you have to rely on your helmet, take it to the dealer and have them check it out or purchase a new one.

Some companies will love to see a helmet that has saved the life of a person and can get some useful data from it. Years ago motorcycle racers who happened to crash were asked to send their helmets back to the factories so they could be studied. Everyone benefits when someone is saved the pain of a long and horrible hospital stay.

---------------

One benefit of this tragedy is that the rules of ski runs/resorts may be changed. In NASCAR racing, a driver who was involved in an accident was allowed to leave the scene and go to his pit area. The rules were changed to
make it MANDATORY for a driver to be escorted by ambulance to an infield medical/hospital area, there they were examined and either released or put into a doctor's care.

Even thought NR was given a private lesson and after her fall, she refused to have any medical attention, hopefully it will be a starting point to change the rules and maybe save someone else the pain of being injured like that.:(

[carole]

I don't know how other countries stand up in this, but here in NZ you have to wear a helmet on a motorbike and a bicycle, it is the law and you will be fined for both if caught without it.

[blue]

Lets not turn the death of a magnificent actress into a helmet debate.

My thoughts and prayers to her husband, family and friends.

[carole]

Blue i don't think either myself or Richard were trying to debate about helmets, merely mentioning the significance of them , and just how important they are, we all have the deepest sympathy for Natasha Richardson and her family,there is alway's a lesson learn't from every tragedy i think, very sad indeed.

[RICHARD]

Here in Cah lee fuh nee ah we do have a helmet law.

I do think that people should be given the freedom to choose, but with the caveat that you carry insurance if you want to participate in sports/actvities that may lead to a head injury.

Brain and head injuries are devastating to the injured and families.

It's a very sad thing to watch people in hospital beds that have been hurt and cannot care for themselves anymore.

It should be a personal choice and people should be aware of the possible consequences!:(

[carole]

I kind of agree with you,but human beings are such a silly species, and I think it is best we have the choice made for us about helmets, i like it that we have made it law for bicycles and helmets here,there are alway's going to be others who will disregard the law anyhow.

We better be careful not to turn this into a debate Richard my friend, again my sympathies to the family.

[Medusa]

I wouldn't worry about turning this thread into a debate about helmet laws. As I see it, unfortunate incidents such as this one help to educate. Hopefully, something good can come out of this horrible tragedy. We've all expressed our sympathies but if we can learn something from this experience, so much the better. You aren't hijacking this thread; the fact that she wasn't wearing a helmet was mentioned in the news article and it's a natural progression to talk about that. :)

[carole]

Thank you Mary, that is what i think too, just don't want to step on anyone's toes here.:)

[Catty1]

Love this

http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2009/03/83215/400_nrichardson_lneeson_090318_jcorrigan_81033235. jpg

[lvpets2002]

:love: Yes they were Truley in Love.. This is one of my favorite pics as well.. Its just so Sad.. As the beleif is God has a reason for everthing & everyone doings..
Love this

http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2009/03/83215/400_nrichardson_lneeson_090318_jcorrigan_81033235. jpg

[Catty1]

The media were herded to a respectful distance. The whole family generously posed for a group photo...Liam and a couple of others waved at the media when heading into the church.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/images/2009/03/23/vanessaredgraveliamneesonfuneral.jpg
Photo: Liam Neeson leans on Vanessa Redgrave for support at his wife's funeral Sunday. Credit: FilmMagic

Prayers, many prayers for Liam and the boys; and for Natasha's mom, sister and niece.

[RICHARD]

Not to take this into a political/law direction but-

I saw one of the 'celeb news' shows covering the funeral and the nast thing they mentioned was the possibility of a lawsuit against the ski resort.

The poor gal hasn't even cleared customs with St Peter and the talk has begun....

What a bunch of morons.

[Logan]

Until this happened to Natasha Richardson, I had no idea that skiers ever wore helmets! I'm not a skier, so I guess I had no reason to know. It is such a sad story. I only ever saw her in "Parent Trap" and I loved her!

Of course, in regards to helmets, we never wore them as kids when riding our bicycles, but by the time my daughter came along, it was pretty much standard for bicycles, roller skating, roller blading, etc. She always hated it, too, but I made her wear one anyway. The state of SC doesn't require helmets even for motorcyclists. That's why the motorcycle groups love to come here for festivals, I guess.