Lights dimmed on New York City’s Broadway Theaters for Natasha Richardson last Thursday night March 19th as she had passed away the day before at Lennox Hill Hospital in midtown. London’s West End Theater district dimmed their lights on Friday. Natasha is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and wife to actor Liam Neeson, and mom to two teenage boys.
Natasha fell down during a skiing lesson in Quebec Canada at the Mont Tremblant resort area. Although she felt OK at first, her injury caused an epidural hematoma that eventually put enough pressure on her brain to kill her. Patients with this type of injury are known to be “talking and dying” because they may or may not have a headache, but their condition is getting closer to fatal every minute. It is not necessarily obvious with this type of injury that it’s indeed a serious bodily injury that can quickly lead to death. As her condition got worse, medics drove Natasha to a trauma center in Montreal but by the time she got there it was too late. As there was no chance for a recovery, she was then transferred to a hospital in Manhattan to be closer to loved ones.
That area around Montreal Canada does not have air medivac the way we do in the New York area. Anywhere in Northern New Jersey or areas surrounding the city, you can count on rapid helicopter transport to a trauma center if you have symptoms after a head injury. Would Natasha be alive today if there were indeed air medivac emergency services in Quebec? A poor choice by a top surgeon left me partially blind in one eye for the rest of my life. Alth0gh I’m truly grateful to have any sight at all, my family eye Doctor told me afterward that: “you could second guess that surgeon’s decision every day for the rest of your life and still never know the right answer”.
Natasha was an accomplished stage actress with numerous awards for her role in films and plays. Most of all she was well regarded by all as a wonderful person – a caring mother – a tireless worker for many charities. She will be missed by all.
Natasha’s passing is a bit scary, especially since no one could tell that anything was wrong at first