Natasha Richardson suffers "devastating head injury"

[VF21]

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20266327,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines

Natasha Richardson's Family Gathers for Vigil
By Oliver Jones
Originally posted Tuesday March 17, 2009 07:30 PM EDT

On Tuesday, Natasha Richardson began the journey from a Canadian hospital to New York, where friends and family were waiting.

The actress, 45, suffered a devastating head injury Monday in a freak skiing accident outside of Montreal. Neeson immediately left the Toronto set of his latest film, Chloe, to be with his wife.

According to representatives of Sacre-Coeur Hospital in Montreal, the couple of 15 years departed together by ambulance at 12:30 Tuesday. Richardson was spotted on the yellow stretcher by a reporter from the Toronto Star, which published the account. The couple were then taken to Elliott Trudeau Airport for a private jet flight to New York, arriving Tuesday evening. They have a home in Manhattan and another outside the city.

According to sources, friends and family members gathered for a vigil in New York to be with Richardson. It was not immediately known whether she was being taken to a hospital or to her home.

Sources tell PEOPLE that Richardson was vacationing with at least one of her two sons when she took a tumble at the Mont Tremblant ski resort. While initially the actress appeared unharmed, an hour later she began complaining of headaches and was rushed into intensive care.
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Update: Fox News is reporting that she has been declared brain dead and will be removed from life support once she reaches New York.

My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends. RIP Ms. Richardson.

 

[kingsnation]

That is so sad. My prayers are with her family.

 

[VF21]

Also from the same link above, but time stamped at 1:26 p.m.:

Actress Natasha Richardson, reportedly in serious condition with head trauma in a Montréal hospital after a ski accident Monday at Mont Tremblant, was walking around and feeling fine for an hour after her accident, a spokesperson from the ski resort says.

"She was laughing and joking and she walked to her room on her own," Mont Tremblant spokesperson Catherine Lacasse says.

The British-born Richardson, 45, was not wearing a ski helmet when she was taking a private ski lesson on the Nansen, a beginners' run at Mont Tremblant. When she was near the bottom of the run in a section known as the flats, she fell down. According to the spokeswoman, Richardson did not hit anyone or anything before coming to a stop.

"She was accompanied by an experienced ski instructor who immediately called the ski patrol," according to a statement from the resort.

Lacasse tells PEOPLE that there were no cuts, bleeding or other external signs of injury. Ski patrollers assisted Richardson and helped her to her room. She was not put on a stretcher.

About an hour after the fall, Richardson started complaining of headaches. She went to a nearby hospital and was later transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of Sacré Coeur Hospital. (A spokesperson for the hospital would not confirm or deny that Richardson was a patient there.)

 

[Rockmeister]

I'm confused. One report said she was laughing and joking and walked in her own room. And then later her condition deteriorated. How can that be?

Thoughts and prayers are with her family.

 

[VF21]

I'm confused. One report said she was laughing and joking and walked in her own room. And then later her condition deteriorated. How can that be?

Although there were no external signs of injury, she could have had internal bruising on her brain. As the brain swelled, it could have created pressure or blood clots, etc. At least that's what Dr. Baden said on Fox News.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'm confused. One report said she was laughing and joking and walked in her own room. And then later her condition deteriorated. How can that be?

Concussions are funny things. Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys died under similar circumstances in the 1990s - he was struck by a taxi while crossing the street, was well enough to leave the hospital and then died that night in his sleep.

 

[Prophetess]

my condolences to the family.

 

[6th]

Just wondered about the Fox news report. CNN's latest was that she was in an undisclosed hospital in NY.

 

[StevenHW]

Concussions are funny things. Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys died under similar circumstances in the 1990s - he was struck by a taxi while crossing the street, was well enough to leave the hospital and then died that night in his sleep.

Best wishes to a full recovery for Natasha.

For some reason, this brings back memories of Sonny Bono's death about 12 years ago. He died in the Tahoe area after he slammed into a tree while skiing.

 

[Rockmeister]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29733775/?gt1=43001

My heart goes out to the family. RIP Natasha Richardson.