Natasha Richardson as originally reported on Monday has suffered severe brain injuries in conjunction with a skiing accident. The 45 year old actress and wife of actor Liam Neeson was said to have been taking a lesson on a beginner’s course at Station Mont Tremblant which is about 80 miles northwest of Montreal.
Although Richardson was not wearing a ski helmet at the time of her accident, it was said that she did not collide into anything or anyone. It was also reported that she showed no visible signs of injury or impact from the accident, although ski patrol advised Richardson that she should seek medical attention. 911 was called approximately an hour after the incident as Richardson stated she was experiencing a severe headache and did not feel well.
Natasha Richardson has since been transferred Lenox Hill hospital in New York. Richardson was flown along with husband Liam Neeson to Lenox Hill by private jet.
Sources say that Natasha Richardson’s family is with her in New York. This includes her husband, her mother actress Vanessa Redgrave, her two sons (with Neeson), her niece and also her sister actress Joely Richardson. There was said to have been a vigil for Richardson held by family and friends.
While the most recent updates pertaining to Natasha Richardson’s condition have been conflicting, it has been reported that she is brain dead. It is understood that severity of Richardson’s condition is due to blood leakage between the brain and skull. Richardson’s prognosis looks dim and there have even been sources that have reported that Natasha Richardson was taken off life support this afternoon. Other sources have just maintained that Natasha Richardson is in critical condition and that her outlook is bleak at best. Most information at this time is speculative as nothing has been confirmed at this point.
Brain hemorrhages like the one said to be the source of Natasha Richardson’s serious condition can take hours to present themselves. Slow bleeds can take time and have been associated with “speak and die” conditions. Speak and die conditions refer to injuries sustained in which an individual may seem fine at one moment and then dead the next. While she was not wearing a helmet at the time of her skiing accident, there is no proof that a helmet could have prevented this from transpiring.
Natasha Richardson is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Richardson. She has been married to Liam Neeson for 15 years, and the couple has 2 boys together. Natasha Richardson is also the older sister of actress Joely Richardson best known as Julia McNamara from FX Network’s television show Nip/Tuck.
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia User Khedara Ariyaratne
