Natasha Richardson Tragedy Serves Warning – Actress Natasha Richardson’s tragic death due to traumatic head injuries can serve as a warning for athletes, doctors, trainers, referees, and coaches.
At first, Natasha Richardson said she felt fine after she took a spill on the bunny hill of a Canadian ski slope. We are now hearing that that’s not unusual for people who suffer traumatic head injuries like the one that killed the actress. Now that the world has seen what can result from such an injury, I am guessing there are many people out there, like me, who are thinking… “how do I know if and when I should see a doctor for a head trauma? And what about when our kids bump their heads?
Fortunately, (knock on wood) my kids have not suffered any head traumas, but I know many who have children who have run into a basement pole when not looking, slipped and fallen down a few steps, had an accident on some playground equipment, etc. None of these situations warranted the use of a helmet.
They say Natasha’s fall showed no blood or apparent injuries, yet the instructor felt it necessary to wait with her for more than an hour to be sure she was ok. Something tells me that it had to be a really bad fall; otherwise, they would not have been so concerned, especially since she was speaking coherently. Is there more to this story that we are not hearing? Or, should we learn from this experience, and be on the safe side by always having a bump looked into? When people say things happen for a reason, maybe Natasha Richardson’s case has educated us that things can be more serious than they appear, and that we should be ready to question the situation and take action.
The scariest and saddest part of the Natasha Richardson tragedy is knowing that they could have saved her had she been given help sooner. But, how are we supposed to know when help is needed if the individual seems just fine, until that is, it’s too late?
