Actress Natasha Richardson seriously injured

[KillerTomato]

Natasha Richardson, daughter of Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Richardson and wife of Liam Neeson has been seiously injured in a skiing accident at Mont Tremblant in Montreal. Brain injury, it seems. I've always liked her, especially in "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Nell." Hope she gets better soon. She and Vanessa were due to costar in a revival of "A Little Night Music" on Broadway.

[Paddy O'Furniture]

Dammit--we had two people from this area killed in skiing accidents over the year.

I wish her a speedy recovery.

And all you guys--wear a helmet, even if it looks dorky, okay?

[SportsFan68]

I loved her in the Dennis Quaid and Lindsay Lohan version of The Parent Trap.

I hope she makes a complete recovery.

[danielh41]

The very sad news from the New York Post is that Natasha Richardson is brain dead...http://www.nypost.com/seven/03172009/ne ... 160027.htm

I told my wife that I want to go see Liam Neeson's movie Taken this weekend. We've been wanting to see it anyway. I know it's a small gesture, but I told her that it would be neat if ticket sales for that move went way up just because people were thinking about and praying for that family...

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

The New York Post is saying that she is being flown home to NY because she is brain dead.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03172009/ne ... 160027.htm

I hope that it's not true.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

TMZ says that she is not brain dead:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/17/natasha-r ... -hospital/

[danielh41]

TMZ says that she is not brain dead:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/17/natasha-r ... -hospital/

Well, I hope TMZ is right and the New York Post is wrong.

[tlynn78]

I read on People.com that she was walking around and talking after the fall, but then complained of a headache about an hour after the injury, and was taken to the hospital. I really like her, I hope she's okay. I'm beginning to wonder if the 'fall' was caused by a problem in her brain rather than the other way around...

t.

[wintergreen48]

One thing that is kind of interesting, albeit only indirectly related to what happened, is that, in the midst of the current debate about the inadequacies of the US health care system, she (or her family) made the decision to bring her to the US for medical treatment. Wherever she is treated, I hope that it works out well for her, but still.

[Bob Juch]

She was learning how to ski on a bunny slope. I'm guessing she had an aneurysm due to a minor fall.

[wintergreen48]

She was learning how to ski on a bunny slope. I'm guessing she had an aneurysm due to a minor fall.

Or, perhaps, a minor fall due to an aneurysm?

[nitrah55]

The shortcomings of the US medical system with which I am familiar have to do with its cost.

I imagine the Leeson/Richarson family can handle whatever comes.

PS, I thought I read that NR had her accident at Mont Tremblant. That's where The Bride broke her leg a few years ago.

I ain't going back there.

Prayers to Ms NR.

[BigDrawMan]

ouch


i think she was a client of the peapeople

[NellyLunatic1980]

TMZ says that she is not brain dead:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/17/natasha-r ... -hospital/

Well, I hope TMZ is right and the New York Post is wrong.

Not to poison the well, but it is the New York Post, a Murdoch rag, that we're talking about here.

[sunflower]

She was learning how to ski on a bunny slope. I'm guessing she had an aneurysm due to a minor fall.

Is that true? She was on the bunny slope?? Then something else was probably going on, unless she fell on something hard or sharp. I've taken quite a few hard spills and I guess I won't say look at me I'm fine, because I am kind of crazy...but I do maintain consciousness.

[danielh41]

TMZ says that she is not brain dead:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/17/natasha-r ... -hospital/

Sadly, even TMZ is now reporting bad news:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/18/richardso ... condition/

[Jeemie]

TMZ says that she is not brain dead:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/17/natasha-r ... -hospital/

Sadly, even TMZ is now reporting bad news:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/18/richardso ... condition/

So is msnbc.com.

A family friend has supposedly told people.com that she is, in fact, brain dead, and grim-looking family members have gathered at the hospital.

Sadly, I think the signs are there that she's not coming back from this...but you never know...

[sunflower]

This really is such a sad story.

[jsuchard]

Just for the record re: "aneurysm" -

The word "aneurysm" appears to have been mis-used in this thread, so I wanted to clear things up.

An aneurysm is an area of abnormally large diameter of a blood vessel: a "ballooning" out of the vessel walls. This is not something that occurs from acute trauma, but is often congenital or is acquired over many years (particularly in people with longstanding hypertension and hypercholesterolemia). By the laws of physics, the blood vessel wall of an aneurysm is necessarily weaker than a normal narrow blood vessel, so they are prone to leakage or outright rupture, either spontaneously or possibly as a result of trauma.

In Richardson's case, an aneurysm would probably not be involved at all. From what I have read, it appears that she had blunt head trauma that at first seemed relatively minor. She later went on to develop cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) probably as a result of "diffuse axonal injury", which is just a fancy medical term for the brains being shook up too hard but the CT scan does not initially show any anatomic injury (such as bleeding into or around the brain). If an aneurysm had been involved, a CT scan would very likely have shown some abnormal collection of intracranial blood. Diffuse axonal injury is quite common in severe blunt head injury, but rather rare in people who bonk their head but look and feel fine rapidly afterwards.

[marriedmefliesfree]

The gossip peddlers are saying that she was taken off life support this afternoon. Very tragic and sad if true. Every time I've seen a photo of her with her hubby, I've always thought that they seemed very close and loving with each other.

[Bob Juch]

Just for the record re: "aneurysm" -

The word "aneurysm" appears to have been mis-used in this thread, so I wanted to clear things up.

An aneurysm is an area of abnormally large diameter of a blood vessel: a "ballooning" out of the vessel walls. This is not something that occurs from acute trauma, but is often congenital or is acquired over many years (particularly in people with longstanding hypertension and hypercholesterolemia). By the laws of physics, the blood vessel wall of an aneurysm is necessarily weaker than a normal narrow blood vessel, so they are prone to leakage or outright rupture, either spontaneously or possibly as a result of trauma.

In Richardson's case, an aneurysm would probably not be involved at all. From what I have read, it appears that she had blunt head trauma that at first seemed relatively minor. She later went on to develop cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) probably as a result of "diffuse axonal injury", which is just a fancy medical term for the brains being shook up too hard but the CT scan does not initially show any anatomic injury (such as bleeding into or around the brain). If an aneurysm had been involved, a CT scan would very likely have shown some abnormal collection of intracranial blood. Diffuse axonal injury is quite common in severe blunt head injury, but rather rare in people who bonk their head but look and feel fine rapidly afterwards.

OK, I meant a burst aneurysm.

She could also have had a contra-coup injury.

I'm sure we'll know the details soon.

[earendel]

NPR reports that she has passed away.