Micheál Neeson Reflects On Losing Natasha Richardson At Age 13—A Life‑Changing Loss
Even though the actress was married at the time, their romance started when they costarred in the 1993 Broadway production of Anna Christie.
After her marriage finally failed, she married the actor in 1994 and they raised two sons together.
Early on, it was clear that the couple had a strong bond since they described an indisputable synergy that permeated their performances.
Even the actress said herself years later that she was unfazed that the actor was known for being a ladies man, commenting, “I’m pleased that women fall in love with him because I know why,” per Country Living.
After being married, their love only deepened, and they eagerly embraced fatherhood, welcoming their first son in 1995 and a second son 18 months later.
But when actress Natasha Richardson suffered a brain injury while skiing in 2009, tragedy struck. She initially denied the fall, but as her condition worsened, medical professionals concluded she was brain dead.
After letting relatives and friends bid her farewell, Neeson made the painful choice to remove her from life support, remembering a deal they had made.
Her acting career was later pursued by their eldest son, Micheál, who starred in films and television shows such as Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Vox Lux, Big Dogs, Broken Symphony, and Paradise.
Years later, Micheál also chose to adopt Richardson as his last name as a respect to his mother.
He explained, “It was mainly like a homage to my mother, a way to carry her with me,” per The Times.
This touching gesture earned the admiration of his father, who said, “It was a lovely gesture. Natasha’s family, mother, and sisters were very touched by it. I’m proud of it.”
Neeson, who is happy of his son’s choice, took solace in the fact that Micheál’s name and profession continue Natasha’s legacy.
Since then, Micheál has made a name for himself in the acting industry by collaborating with his father on a number of films, such as Cold Pursuit and Made in Italy, carrying on the family’s legacy of strong performances while holding his mother’s memory near and dear.
How did Natasha Richardson die?
A New York City medical examiner conducted an autopsy on the actress and determined her cause of death to be an epidural hematoma, caused by the blunt impact to her head from the accidental fall she’d endured on the ski slope at Mont Tremblant, ABC News reported.
“Epidural hematoma is due to a fracture of the temporal bone, just in front of the ear,” David Good, M.D., the head of the neurology department at Penn State’s Hershey College of Medicine in 2009, said. “The temporal bone is thin compared to the rest of the skull, and if you bump it, it tends to fracture more easily. The problem is there’s an artery that lies just under the bone.”
That artery, called the middle meningeal, if damaged, can cause heavy bleeding. Over time, the pressure from the bleeding compresses the brain and can lead to headaches, confusion, loss of consciousness and even death. If caught and treated in time, a person has a strong chance of surviving with no lasting effects. Natasha’s injury, however, was left untreated for hours.
After Natasha fell and hit her head, she was briefly examined by ski resort employees on the beginner’s slope she was practicing on and then by paramedics at a local clinic, according to ABC News. The actress didn’t wish for further medical attention and signed a release waiver, but when she returned to her hotel, her condition began worsening over the next few hours.
When did Natasha Richardson die?
Natasha died Wednesday evening of March 18, 2009, though her accident occurred during the day on Monday, March 16, at Mont Tremblant in Quebec.
While skiing without a helmet at the Canadian resort’s Nansen beginner’s slope on March 16, Natasha fell and hit her head. In response, Natasha’s ski instructor called the ski patrol, who examined the actress and initially found no injury, CNN reported.
According to ABC News, the first call to paramedics was at 12:43 p.m. local time. At 1 p.m., an ambulance arrived, and Natasha was promptly moved to a small clinic near the mountain. Thinking she was fine and did not want further medical attention, Natasha signed a medical waiver and was released from the clinic at 1:10 p.m.
The actress then walked back to the hotel with the instructor and ski patrol, arriving in her suite at 1:30 p.m. Natasha was allegedly advised to see a doctor again, and the instructor stayed close by as a precaution. At this point, she was feeling fine and experiencing a brief lucid interval, a period of time where symptoms seemingly improve while the pressure on the brain continues to build.
Her symptoms eventually began to worsen again, however, and at 2:59 p.m., a second call to the ambulance was made. Ten minutes later, an ambulance arrived, and she was taken to the local Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Ste-Agathe. After being evaluated there, Natasha was later routed to the larger hospital Hôpital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal at around 7 p.m., Toronto’s The Globe and Mail newspaper reported.
There, her condition continued to deteriorate, and the following afternoon, she was flown from Montreal to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City on March 17.