Natasha Richardson, 45, the English stage and screen actress, died in March 2009 following a head injury. She was the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director/producer Tony Richardson.

Tony Richardson, died of AIDS-related causes in 1991 and Natasha Richardson helped raise millions of dollars in the fight against AIDS through the charity amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

In a cruel twist of fate, Natasha Richardson sustained a head injury when she fell during a skiing lesson in Quebec.  This resulted in an epidural hematoma, which causes bleeding between the skull and the brain’s covering. Such bleeding is often caused by a skull fracture, and it can quickly produce a blood clot that puts pressure on the brain. That pressure can force the brain downward, pressing on the brain stem that controls breathing and other vital functions. Unfortunately, this is what happened to Natasha Richardson with her head injury resulting in brain death.

When her family learned she was brain dead, they agreed that her organs should be donated.