Every year about 1.5 million people in the United States
have some type of brain injury. There are two types of brain injury: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ex. blow to the head
and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) ex. stroke
Let's take Natasha Richardson for example. She was a known
actress of movies such as “The Parent Trap” co staring with Lindsay Lohan, “Maid
in Manhattan,” “The White Countess” and a number of more movies. She was
married to actor Liam Neeson and was mother of two. It happens that Natasha
Richardson was at a Canadian ski resort where she was taking a skiing lesson
without wearing a helmet. The accident
happened while she was on a beginners’ slope at the Mont Tremblant resort where
she “tumbled’ down a hill. At first she claimed she was doing okay and said she
didn’t need to be seen by a doctor when approached by ski patrol. Approximately a few hours after her fall she started
having severe headaches that lead her to seeking help. Shortly after being taken
into a local hospital she fell into critical condition therefore translating
her to a Hospital in Montreal where she was put on life support. She didn’t regain
consciousness so she was taken to her home town, New York, so friends and
family could say their goodbyes. She died two days after the accident, she was 45. Her cause of death was an epidural haematoma due
to blunt impact to her head. At that time wearing a helmet was up to the people
if they wanted to wear it or not. After Ms. Richardson’s accident it became
official that the sales of ski safety helmets in UK increased significantly. It
was argued whether a safety helmet could have saved Ms. Richardson and in my
opinion it could have saved her. Safety helmets reduce head injuries by a 35%
in adults and 59% in children.
This story is important so that we can all know that brain
injury can happen to anyone. We should always be careful when doing activities
that are dangerous since injuries of this type can be avoided. On the other
hand, situations like being a victim of assault or having a car accident are
not foreseen so it is more difficult to avoid or predict brain injuries.Bottom line is always seeking help if you
fall and hit your head for example or if your head collides with an object
harshly even if you might feel okay. Brain injuries can develop bleeding,
bruising and swelling even after a few hours of the initial impact.
The following video is about how the brain is damaged after a collision. (it doesn't have any sound, but it is not long and it explains it with little notes quite well.)
wow! that is a tragic story! I can imagine the guilt the people had to have for not enforcing helmet use. I finally got to understand what really occurs in the brain when impacted violently! I personally never understood the whole mist of using a helmet and how its usage can save your life. But after seeing this i appreciate my mom making me wear mine when learning to ride my bike and would go roller blading! The brain is such a valuable part that our body need to protect to function property but when we turn careless, there is consequences. We also have to put in our part...for the love of our BRAIN! great blog!
I remember hearing about this one on the news a couple of years ago. Such a sad ending because she died pretty young too! For spring break this year, my family and I headed to colorado aspen to ski for the first time. Im not going to lie, but i actually remembered that particular incident. My biggest fear was that i was going to run into a tree and become paralyzed or something. Its a scary thing to think about! I made sure i was well suited (especially since i was a beginner) and even then you can still potentially hurt yourself. Although breaking an arm or a leg does not compare to damaging the brain. so i agree with besty it is VERY important to protect our brains. The video showed ways of how an improper movement can lead to a traumatic brain injury. Prevent this by using a helmet because your life can end in a flash!
That’s interesting, I always thought there was only 1 kind of brain injury and that all brain injuries were alike. I liked how you mentioned several movies of “Natasha Richardson” and Lindsay Lohan is cute. What a tragedy, she was so young. Helmets do save lives but some people think that they are to cool to wear a helmet. That is true; you should never be “shy” about seeking help, especially when you have a head injury. I liked your video, it is very detailed.
wow! that is a tragic story! I can imagine the guilt the people had to have for not enforcing helmet use. I finally got to understand what really occurs in the brain when impacted violently! I personally never understood the whole mist of using a helmet and how its usage can save your life. But after seeing this i appreciate my mom making me wear mine when learning to ride my bike and would go roller blading! The brain is such a valuable part that our body need to protect to function property but when we turn careless, there is consequences. We also have to put in our part...for the love of our BRAIN! great blog!
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing about this one on the news a couple of years ago. Such a sad ending because she died pretty young too! For spring break this year, my family and I headed to colorado aspen to ski for the first time. Im not going to lie, but i actually remembered that particular incident. My biggest fear was that i was going to run into a tree and become paralyzed or something. Its a scary thing to think about! I made sure i was well suited (especially since i was a beginner) and even then you can still potentially hurt yourself. Although breaking an arm or a leg does not compare to damaging the brain. so i agree with besty it is VERY important to protect our brains. The video showed ways of how an improper movement can lead to a traumatic brain injury. Prevent this by using a helmet because your life can end in a flash!
ReplyDeleteThat’s interesting, I always thought there was only 1 kind of brain injury and that all brain injuries were alike. I liked how you mentioned several movies of “Natasha Richardson” and Lindsay Lohan is cute. What a tragedy, she was so young. Helmets do save lives but some people think that they are to cool to wear a helmet. That is true; you should never be “shy” about seeking help, especially when you have a head injury. I liked your video, it is very detailed.
ReplyDelete