People News
Vanessa Redgrave overcome with grief
Mar 20, 2009, 12:50 GMT
A photograph of the late British actress Natasha Richardson sits in a souvenir shop window in Broadway\'s Theater District in New York USA, 19 March 2009. Richardson, a member of Britain\'s Redgrave acting dynasty, died 18 March at age 45 after a suffering a severe brain injury in a skiing accident in Canada earlier this week. EPA/PETER FOLEY
Vanessa Redgrave collapsed in shock after the death of her daughter Natasha Richardson.
The 72-year-old actress was overcome with emotion when the life support machine of 45-year-old Natasha was switched off at New York's Lenox Hospital and briefly passed out.
A source said: "The family asked to be alone with Natasha at the end. But it was overwhelming for Vanessa, who fainted. Nurses were asked to help. She recovered enough to be supported by her family."
Moments before, Vanessa - who was with Natasha's husband Liam Neeson at the actress' bedside when she died - sang the lullaby 'Edelweiss' from the musical 'The Sound of Music'.
She had performed the song at Natasha's 1990 wedding to first husband Robert Fox.
Natasha - who has two sons, Micheal, 13, and 12-year-old Daniel, with Liam - died from head injuries following a skiing accident in Canada.
The night before the tragic accident, Vanessa had questioned her daughter's decision to go skiing.
Loretta Brennan Glucksman, chairperson of the American Ireland Fund, had been speaking to Vanessa at the group's New York meeting.
She said: "Vanessa was saying, 'Natasha is off skiing, I don't understand. She doesn't even like to ski.' "
Meanwhile, a letter Vanessa penned to Natasha two years ago has been revealed, in which she speaks of her love for her daughter and apologised for not always being there for her and her sister Joely Richardson.
In it she wrote: "I feel a little shy about saying how wild I am about you. But I truly am. What I love most about our relationship is the total trust we have in each other.
"I remember being pretty surprised when I eventually got to talk to you as an adult. I found out a lot about your life that I had previously known nothing about, and I remember feeling very glad that you were willing to share it with me."
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Though obvious that I didn't personally know Ms. Richardson, her passing seems to haunt me even three weeks on. In following her career over the years, and knowing of the family and friends to whom she seemed to be such an integral force, I just cannot shake the sadness.
I'm a skier older than her 45 years (10 years); not married; no children; have lost family and friends too young, but nothing has affected me quite like her death. My heart continues to be so heavy with grief for her husband and children, and her mother and sister.
I pray that the rest of us do not forget this, and use this tragedy to go on and make good things happen. Sign up to be an organ donor; give to amfAR in her name; educate mothers to understand that they're the most precious part of a family that keeps everything glued together - so please don't trivialize your bumps and bruises regardless of perhaps putting a kink in others' good times.
Tell the people that you love how you feel about them every time you're to be apart from them.
If I could take back ten minutes of my life that day, and change places with her to make things different, I would do it.
page: 1
Julie ShortApr 9th, 2009 - 16:15:17
Though obvious that I didn't personally know Ms. Richardson, her passing seems to haunt me even three weeks on. In following her career over the years, and knowing of the family and friends to whom she seemed to be such an integral force, I just cannot shake the sadness.
I'm a skier older than her 45 years (10 years); not married; no children; have lost family and friends too young, but nothing has affected me quite like death. My heart continues to be so heavy with grief for her husband and children, and her mother and sister.
I pray that the rest of us do not forget this, and use this tragedy to go on and make good things happen. Sign up to be an organ donor; give to amfAR in her name; educate mothers to understand that they're the most precious part of a family that keeps everything glued together - so please don't trivialize your bumps and bruises so lightly regardless of perhaps putting a kink in others' good time. Tell the people that you love how you feel about them every time you're to be apart from them.
If I could take back ten minutes of my life that day, and change places with her, I would do it.
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