Natasha Richardson

I think it’s so sad that Natasha Richardson passed away!! I really liked her in “Nell” and “The Parent Trap”, although not a big Lohan fan, the movie was well-done. Many thoughts and prayers go out to Liam Neeson, her boys and the entire Redgrave family!! This came as much of a shock as when Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident in 1998.

That was really a shock, especially since she didn’t hit her head on anything in particular except the snow covered ground. My sister-in-law’s husband passed away due to a similar closed head injury, and he was only 30. I can just imagine what the family is going through. Natasha really was talented, and seem to thoroughly enjoy life. Sad to see it cut so short.

It is such a sad story. I can only think of how days ago they were all preparing for a get away, and now their mother, wife, daughter is gone. Life is like a vapor. We just never know. I can’t imagine being in the public eye at a time like this. I hope the media will give them some space.

Donna

What a shame. If she would have accepted the medical help offered she might be alive today. It sure is an eye opener on several fronts - that anything can happen and that turning down a quick medical check after an accident may not be the best thing to do.

I agree Susan, but I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. I would have felt embarrassed about the tumble, and probably would have said I was fine too if I hadn’t really hit my head on something. It’s frightening how quickly the entire episode unfolded. I just wonder what they would have done at the hospital if she arrived quickly and still felt fine. Would they have done a brain scan right away anyway? I’m sure they would have at least kept her a while for observation, and that might have made the difference. Such a sad situation.

Yes you are right Kelly. I probably would have tried to laugh off the fall, refused treatment and then gathered up my kids and returned to my hotel room. Even if she would have agreed to go to the hospital it sounds like she might not have been able to get all the help she needed without an ambulance ride to another hospital. It is certainly a very sad situation.

Falling is embarrassing. Last year I was racing with a 11-year-old and I was running all out. I started leaning forward and my brain said, “I think I’m going to fall!” I couldn’t regain my balance and I slammed into the pavement. I hit my knee, stomach and then my neck snapped forward and I hit my face. Everyone ran up to me and what did I say…“I’m fine.” I walked a half mile back to the house and iced my cheek. I did have a black eye and a swollen cheek, and was tender for weeks, but I didn’t go to the hospital. I’ve thought about that since I heard this story and I can understand why she didn’t go. Those kinds of things we really can’t second guess, but we can learn from them. I heard that the hospital in Canada didn’t have the equipment needed to treat her and that’s why they moved her back to the states, but it was too late.

Donna

Donna, I’ve been following this story since she fell. I think that by the time she arrived at the first hospital, her condition had become critical. They then transferred her to a larger hospital that was better able to handle severe brain trauma and it was there that she was sort of pronounced brain dead. Once her husband arrived, (he was in Toronto filming), she was transferred to a hospital in the states where, shortly after arrival, they decided to take her off life support and let her go. So very very sad, especially since she has two boys at home and she was so young.

I saw a little girl on the news this morning who was hit in the head while playing baseball. She exhibited symptoms like vomiting and progressive lethargy, and because the parents had just seen what happened to Natasha Richardson, they rushed her to the doctor where a cat scan showed the same type injury Natasha had suffered. Surgery saved her life. So while Natasha is gone, her life story actually helped save this little girl’s life by making her parents aware of the seriousness of her injury.

Donna

It just goes to show that it really doesn’t take much when it comes to head injuries. One minute you can seem perfectly fine and then the next, you’re sick. I have to go over this again and again with my nearly 13 year old (believe me, he reminds me daily that he’s almost a teenager) about wearing a bike helmet. He hates it, but no helmet no bike.

Good for you. Often it is easy to get worn down by our children when they don’t want to do something. But imagine how you’d feel if you caved and then he got hurt. Sometimes even adults will say things like, I didn’t wear a helmet as a kid and I’m alive, but I know someone who is now 51-years-old, whose brother died of a head injury. They didn’t realize he was hurt that bad, and he died in bed that night…in the same bed as my friend. And guess how old he was. 13.

Donna

I saw her in many movies. She acted well. I too feel sorry as she passed away. I saw both of her movies. Those were awesome.

Hi Soodenspear,

It is sad. I saw on the news today that now they may be blaming the Canadian health care system. There is nothing that can be done to change what has happened but if we can learn from it so it doesn’t happen again, that would be good.

Donna

What happened to Natasha Richardson still blows me away. But why do we always have to place blame when an accident like this was so clearly and accident? I mean, she got up and walked away, I know they attempted to insist that she see a doctor just to be on the safe side, but she felt fine, seemed fine, so who would worry? The fact that she got sick later and by the time she reached the hospital her injury was far more severe, is the saddest part. Placing blame doesn’t help anything nor does it help her family heal.

Placing blame is what people do because it doesn’t seem fair that someone so young has died. But you are right. It was an accident. Like my husband said to me years ago when I when I had a car wreck, “An accident is not an on purpose.” There is no one to blame.

Donna

The death of Natasha Richardson drives home the fact that a head injury, no matter how slight, needs to be looked at by medical professionals.  Death is never pretty, but somehow the fact that it was a tragic accident makes it so much worse.  I feel so bad for Liam, their sons and her mother.