Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Natasha Richardson & Liam Neeson

NYPOST.COM
NATASHA LEFT BRAIN DEAD
FAMILY SAYS 'THERE IS NO HOPE' OF RECOVERY
RELATED STORIES
NATASHA RICHARDSON IS BRAIN DEAD
NATASHA RICHARDSON INJURED
RELATED TOPICS
NATASHA RICHARDSON
LIAM NEESON

Comments: 69
Read Comments
Leave a Comment
By MICHAEL RIEDEL

Click for photo gallery


Posted: 2:13 pmMarch 18, 2009
Actress
Natasha Richardson has "no chance" of recovery after suffering from "leakage of blood between the brain and skull," according to a family friend.
Family and friends of the gravely injured actress gathered at an Upper East Side hospital today to say goodbye to the British star.
Sources told The Post on Tuesday that Richardson is brain dead after hurting herself in a skiing accident.
Richardson's actress mom, Vanessa Redgrave, clad in a gray scarf, looked dazed and grim last night as she walked into Lenox Hill Hospital.
RIEDEL: RICHARDSON THE SHINING LIGHT OF BROADWAY
PHOTOS: NATASHA RICHARDSON
A few hours later, 45-year-old Richardson's TV-star sister, Joely Richardson, appeared on the verge of tears when she arrived.
"This is painful for the family. Please leave the family alone," said a woman who accompanied her.
Richardson, 45, was injured after what seemed to be a minor fall on a "bunny" slope during a skiing lesson near Montreal on Monday.
According to People magazine's Web site, Richardson suffered from "leakage of blood between the brain and skull," a family friend said.
"It is a fact that her heart is beating but she is brain dead," the friend added.
Her husband, actor
Liam Neeson, immediately left a movie shoot in Toronto to be by her side and accompanied her on the trip from Montreal to New York.
Before leaving, Richardson was seen in an ambulance wrapped in blankets with tubes covering her face, the Toronto Star reported. Neeson was with her, looking extremely worried.
The tearful trek home was made with Neeson and Richardson's two young sons in mind, according to friends. The family has an apartment on Central Park West and a home in Dutchess County, and the boys, ages 12 and 13, were believed to be at Lenox Hill last night.
The eldest boy, Michéal, was with Richardson on the slopes, while Daniel was in New York when the accident happened, friends said. Richardson fell during a private lesson at Mont Tremblant, about 80 miles northwest of Montreal.
She had been telling friends how excited she was to go on the trip, sources said.
After the fall, she initially told employees she felt fine, according to resort managers. But an hour later, she complained of a severe headache and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
The Broadway, movie and TV star was on a beginner's slope and reportedly not wearing a helmet when she fell. Headgear is not required.
"She did not show any visible sign of injury, but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should see a doctor," said a statement from the resort.
"Approximately an hour after the incident, Mrs. Richardson was not feeling good."
Richardson was initially taken to the Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Sainte Agathe, and was later transferred to Sacre-Coeur hospital in Montreal.
Her family is expected to release a statement later today.
The actress - whose father was the late, Oscar-winning director Tony Richardson - comes from a long line of noted British players. Maternal grandparents Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, along with uncle and aunt Corin and Lynn Redgrave, are all actors.
Joely Richardson appears on the FX show "Nip/Tuck."
Lynn Redgrave was also believed to be on her way to New York.
Natasha once said she wanted to make a career in the United States so she could dodge the "baggage of family" back home in Great Britain.

No comments: