A couple of Natasha Richardson stories for you to get the weekend started off right. And because, unlike the undertaker, the media hasn’t yet managed to suck every little bit of life’s blood from her cold, dead body.
I give it about another two weeks before she stops popping up on Morning Express with Robin Meade.
First, an Ohio couple is crediting Richardson with saving their daughter’s life. After the dad of the year whacked his daughter, Morgan, in the head with a baseball while playing in the yard, the 7-year-old got a goose egg on her temple. Her parents iced it down and the swelling went away. Their daughter seemed fine, so they didn’t think anything of it.
Three days later, they saw a story about Richardson on CNN, and noting how Natasha had seemed just fine after falling and hitting her head, the couple decided to take their daughter to the emergency room.
Turns out, the kid had the same injury as Richardson: an epidural hematoma.
Unlike Richardson’s, Morgan’s story has a happy ending. After surgery and five days in the hospital, she’s at home and doing fine. “Dr. Cohen told us that if we hadn’t brought her in Thursday night, she never would have woken up,” McCracken says.
Now the McCrackens sometimes wonder if they waited too long to get Morgan to a doctor. After hearing about Richardson’s death, many people are asking themselves the same question: Do all head injuries need attention, even ones that seem minor?
I once got elbowed in the forehead by a Thai guy named Tata while playing basketball in Japan. I’ll give you a tiny moment to process that before I move on.
A big ole tootsiepop-sized lump quickly erupted on my forehead. The swelling went down after a few hours, and after having to deal with the ignominy of a blackish/greenish eye for a few weeks, I was fine… OR WAS I??
Next time I say something reeeeeally offensive, you can blame it on the epidural hematoma talking. Unless it’s funny. In that case, I said it.
Secondly, some whackball kookjobs (and by whackball kookjobs, of course I mean The New York Post) are attempting to blame Richardson’s death on everyone’s favorite lovably laid back, backwards neighbor to the north: Canada. Specifically, they’re blaming it on the healthcare that is available in smaller Canadian towns like the one where Natasha went skiing.
Richardson died of an epidural hematoma — a bleeding artery between the skull and brain that compresses and ultimately causes fatal brain damage via pressure buildup. With prompt diagnosis by CT scan, and surgery to drain the blood, most patients survive.
Could Richardson have received this care? Where it happened in Canada, no. In many US resorts, yes.
The article goes on to say that the lack of “technology like CT scanners and quick access to specialists like neurosurgeons” may have caused what would have been a treatable condition in even the smallest of U.S. towns to become fatal.
But if Canadacare hadn’t killed Natasha, that little girl in Ohio would be dead by now!
Go throw your rock in a pond and think about that one for a while!
You are quite right Kelly. It is extremely sad that she died but her accident has served as a warning about the dangers of head trauma to the rest of us. Or at least it should.
“Backward” neighbour???? Are you kidding me????
Typical American Arrogance.
She refused medical treatment initially. THAT is what caused her death.
I can’t believe that Canadian healthcare is being blamed now- I don’t know much about the little city in Quebec she was in, but I know there are MANY facilities in Quebec, noting McGill as one of the most renound hospitals in the world.
The fact of the matter is that she DENIED hospital care, so passing the buck to Canadians who would’ve saved her if she chose to seek care is not only offensive, it’s a downright incorrect story.
McGill is a university, not a hospital.
I know, but the students studying at McGill are the most esteemed in the country, I would even say North America. Sorry about the mixup.
Really? I would say Johns Hopkins.
McGill is a university not a hospital.
It’s a university with a medical school and associated hospital which does provide state-of-the-art care.
This is the quote from the NY Post:
But Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts is a town of 9,000 people. Its hospital doesn’t have specialized neurology or trauma services. It hasn’t been reported whether the hospital has a CT scanner, but CT scanners are less common in Canada.
Are you kidding me! Of course they don’t have state of the art technology. She is in the middle of NOWHERE! Im sure that towns in the US with a population of 9 000 do not have access to all the medical technology that hospitals in a large US city would have. This article isnt even based on fact. The writer doesn’t even know if the hospital had or used a CT scanner. Oh and to top it off CT scanners are supposedly less common in Canada. Really is that a fact? What kind of stats does this writer have? Are they less common because we have a smaller population? Why doesnt the writer figure out the ratio of CT scanners per capita. Im not even annoyed at the fact that the writer is Canadabashing Im annoyed that journalists who write articles which are read by thousands of people do not even do research and write and article as if they were in a grade 9 intro to writing class.
good call on a LOT of points, Dark Empress! Especially with– does Canada have less CT scans? They should, they have a hell of a lot less people!!! That’s like being OMG you guys, California has more CT scans than like.. Montana. DUHS.
I agree that the Canada-bashing is stupid. Call me crazy, but I wish I lived in a place that had universal healthcare than here. So many people will claim that it is worse care (and many that it isn’t), but it doesn’t matter if YOU CAN’T GET ANY CARE.
Yeah, that was a dumb thing to say.
Oh good grief, she was kidding with the backward neighbor comment. I am an American living in Canada (and I love it) and you need to chill the fuck out with your insecurity there and stop hyperventilating about “typical” American arrogance.
Sad but true.
Kattis YOU are a fucking moron
Love,
Canada
Idiot.
yup, I was waiting for this story to rear it’s ugly head. Surprised it took this long.
“I once got elbowed in the forehead by a Thai guy named Tata while playing basketball in Japan.”
That is SO my new favorite sentence! I can see myself using that in random conversation:
“I went to this amazing new Thai restaurant yesterday.”
“I once got elbowed in the forehead by a Thai guy named Tata while playing basketball in Japan.”
“Would you like to marry me?” (not that anyone would ever say that to me…)
“I once got elbowed in the forehead by a Thai guy named Tata while playing basketball in Japan.”
See? Totally works!
I don’t get it. Help?
Ummmm…..What is this inane babble about?
what about it don’t you guys get? It’s a great sentence because it includes so many random bits. If you were to just use it out of the blue, it would definitely derail a conversation.
Uh, no.
It’d sound just like it did…like inane babble.
This quote of yours…
“Next time I say something reeeeeally offensive, you can blame it on the epidural hematoma talking.”
is very rude and inconsiderate and offensive, not to mention needless.
Guess that was the hematoma talking. She tried to warn you
Isn’t the whole website offensive?? That’s why we love it….. I think the line is hilarious and it totally brightened my morning! You Rock Kelly!
how is it ANY of those things
My dad almost died from an untreated subdural hematoma and I didn’t find it offensive in the least. As a matter of fact, you should have seen and heard some of the hilarity that ensued as my dad’s brain was being pressed on.
Yea, we’re like North Americas whipping boy. Blame it on us, we have thick skin.
Which is exactly why I joke on you, Canada. I happen to love Canada, but I have to do something to get back at you for having a national anthem that is so much prettier than ours.
Kelly, ur new at this and were still in our honeymoon phase, so I’m gonna disregard that jab at my home and native land….just this once though…don’t let it happen again…
First those idiots on Fox degrade our military, and now our horrible health care killed the poor woman. *Roll eyes*
If we’re such idiots, the American’s that think so never have to come here, discuss us or even think about their “backwards neighbor.” This is just getting ridiculous.
This whole post is offensive on so many levels. Even the title is offensive. Kelly you are way out of bounds on this. I hope this isn’t what we can expect from you in your future posts. Because if it is then I won’t be coming here on weekends anymore.
Gotta agree with Larry on this one. I am not easily offended but this post left a bad taste in my mouth. If the post had actually been funny, I would be more forgiving, but it just sounds like you’re trying too hard.
Good. Leave. Nobody cares. Kelly is awesome. Getting offended is ridiculous.
Oh really? And how did you feel about the Rihanna and Chris Brown issue? Were you not offended by that?
Nope, offended isn’t really the word to describe it. I’d say I was shocked if anything. But I mean… why would I get offended. It had nothing to do with me at all and didn’t affect my life or the way I live it. I think of offense as more of a personal matter.
How old are you Abbi? Or should I say… how .old. are. you.?
that doesn’t really work. Besides “good,” Abbi was merely using short sentences. You were just putting periods after every word. Fail.
I don’t see how my age matters here, therefore I’m going to decline to answer. Not because I have anything to hide, but because it’s not a valid question to ask and does nothing to prove my capability of posting a comment or forming an opinion.
Um, no, getting offended is not ridiculous. Some people find the post offensive, and that’s their opinion. Their opinion is not any more ridiculous than yours is.
Life is too short to take everything so seriously and get offended at things that don’t even matter. In two weeks nobody will even remember this post. It’s just not worth making a big deal about and declaring that because of it you’ll “no longer read beet on the weekends”. Everyone is offended by everything and nobody can say anything of any level of intelligence or humour without offending someone. I don’t think my opinion is ridiculous I just think the reactions prove my entire point.
I can only try to explain what I meant but I certainly won’t apologize for ‘being ridiculous’ because in my opinion everyone is a little bit ridiculous… especially people who read celebrity gossip.
which would also include you.
Agree. She lost me at:
And because, unlike the undertaker, the media hasn’t yet managed to suck every little bit of life’s blood from her cold, dead body.
Shockingly bad taste.
No one cares if you’re here or not. Go away.
“I’ll give you a tiny moment to process that before I move on.” Brilliant. I like the way you write.
kelly, you are hilarious
“Next time I say something reeeeeally offensive, you can blame it on the epidural hematoma talking. Unless it’s funny. In that case, I said it.”
i honestly laughed out loud, that and the whackball kookjobs
For future reference – you have to ACCEPT medical treatment in order to have a chance at it working!
“Backwards”? Wow, you better check your facts sweetheart. An obviously ignorant, arrogant comment made yet another American who most likely knows absolutely nothing about Canada other than the fact we’re north of them – it’s okay guys, we’re quite used to it by now.
If you are quite used to it, why are you getting so pissy? and missing her obvious sarcasm? simmer down.
You obviously have this need to appear brilliantly provocative, placing yourself above all the hysterical masses who are crying over the death of someone they never knew, and oh, if people get offended, they must not be at your lofty level. Well you know what? It’s sophomoric– no, juvenile and offensive, and the saddest thing is that you’re probably patting yourself on the back over it.
I am not posting much these days, however, this is the second time I feel that to continue reading without leaving a comment here is, well, just wrong.
Kelly, you have a great writing style and you are often funny. In my opinion, you also write at times as if you have no heart. And I have zero desire to read a post from someone who reads like a heartless human. The best comedians have the raunchiest, rowdiest jokes, but they also have heart.
Leave Natasha Richardson be.
Personally, I like a cold hard bitch.
Kelly, I was in awe when I read this. You are fantastic. You may “have no heart” but you have a perspective that is so sharp and fierce. Don’t let the haters dull that by any means. Keep being extraordinary.
Holy shit, you guys. Can you not understand satire??? WTF are you doing on sites like this if you cannot grasp that Kelly was referring to the US media insinuating that Canada was backward (not her own words) then you need to go read something easier. Like Dick and Jane.
Having said that, let me say this: the problem with blaming Canada healthcare is that ski resorts are, by their very nature, located in the MOUNTAINS. Say it slowly… MOUNTAINS. As in, not in the city. As in, outdoors. They probably don’t a neurosurgeon stationed in the base camp. (Although, honestly, maybe I should have gone pre-med and tried to get that gig. Could be really sweet!) If you ski, you’re taking a risk. End of story.
Apparently Canada doesn’t recognize the existence of sarcasm.
The New York Post, for those of you who may not know, is like utter garbage. Anything you see printed there is all but guaranteed to be sensationalized, not fact-checked, or even just made up.
I think its pretty hilarious how the Post is attempting to make Canada out to be some third world country when the general healthcare available there meets or exceeds that found in the US.
Anyway, I thought it was great. I won’t say anything about the people who are posting about how offended they are, because that would be immature, but I will remind everyone of how frequently this site, and others like it, call young women they don’t know personally skanks, sluts, or coke whores.
If you’re offended by an acknowledgment of the unwarranted media circus that has surrounded the death of a beloved wife and mother, when in my opinion the family should have been given room to grieve and not see her face on every headline for weeks, and not offended by things like talking about the Shamwow guy beating up a hooker then you are a hypocrite.
I’m glad you said it. I thought it was obvious that Kelly was poking fun at America’s messed up views on Canada (and their healthcare). I didn’t get the impression that she agreed with it whatsoever.
yeah, the cold dead body thing was a little much.
Okay, I’m gonna weigh in….
Kelly, I am a fan. I really am. I thought you did a bang up job on your first weekend. That said, my first thought when I saw the headline and the picture was, ewww, too soon. A “funny” post about Natasha, regardless of how the post was framed up, is just too soon, IMO. I just wouldn’t have “gone there”, yet.
Secondly, the sad fact is, SHE REFUSED treatment, so it’s completely ridiculous to have a discussion – one way or the other – about the quality of Canadian healthcare.
And finally, on the topic of our Candadian neighbors, I, for one, certainly could never “blame them” for shoddy healthcare….especially when we’ve got BIGGER bones to pick with them. Namely, being the back door, stealthy entrance for terrorosts tring to enter the US! Lock the friggin’ door, eh!
:o)
In Canada, a bandaid fixes everything. What do we need health professionals for if we can’t compete with the great American medical system? Because your intelligence is so overwhelmingly superior we cannot possibly have doctors that, gasp, know what they’re doing!
As for the back door for terrorists, yes, that was true, quite unfortunately, but since the 9/11 attacks, both Canada and the US have worked together on strengthening the fight against terrorism and not allowing that to happen again. So you pick those bones. Please fast-forward a few years. Let me open my little black book and see what BIG bones we have to pick, O Might One.
Did I miss something?
Who the Effity F is Kelly???
What happened to my affirmative action soul sista Soleil???
…my affirmative action soul sista….BA HA HA HA
good one. you’ve been missed, TSS
The New York Post is an off-shoot of Fox news so it doesn’t suprise me that they didn’t waste any time using Natasha to brainwash the American public against national healthcare. Right Wing nutjobs think anyone who is poor doesn’t “deserve” healthcare and should just die. Nice.
Exactly. Thank you. Wonder how long before Bill-O the clown of “fixed noise” picks up this story and finds someone to have Jesse accost like he did with the girl from ThinkProgress.org?? Setting my stopwatch… NOW…
Kelly I adore you!
Along with others, I feel that the “cold dead body” comment was a little much… I must admit, I winced a bit. Too soon, my friend.
Otherwise, keep on kickin’ ass!
LOL, Kelly. “I once got elbowed in the forehead by a Thai guy named Tata while playing basketball in Japan.” Really?!
This is good writing, keep it up.
True story! I didn’t know my forehead was capable of swelling like that, but there are pictures to prove it.
there is hardly a fatal epidural that takes 3 days to diagnose
those are the “good” ones
the ones that can be treated electivelly
Natasha’s was one of the bad, one of the arterial vessel type, I am pretty sure of that
this kind of situation can happen everywhere in the world
even in the US
my sister went to a ski resort in Vermont and her husband had a nasty accident
the closest healthcare facility was terrible, according to her
he was very lucky his situation was not so bad
so…sometimes you need a little luck to survive
other times you need a lot of it
I didn’t think the article was offensive. Everything Kelly wrote was referenced and laced with obvious sarcasm… especially the stuff about Canada. Kelly didn’t harp on Canada, she merely wrote about others harping on Canada and then joked about it.
For anyone to blame Canadian healthcare for Natasha’s death is ridiculous! We have top notch care pretty much everywhere, but going to a remote area to ski does come with a risk. Go into an underpopulated area of the states and you would find the same problem!
?sdrawkcab, sa fi.
WOW 58 comments and counting…
2 things to take note of Kelly…
1. Be a little more sensitive to the dead
2. Don’t piss off the Canadians