Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Natasha Richardson’s Organs Donated After Her Death

Natasha Richardson

Way to go, Natasha! When the beloved and respected actress was taken off life support last week, her family requested that her organs be donated to other patients whose lives they might save.

Organ donation “is very Natasha,” a family friend told People. “She spent so much time fighting the stigma of AIDS; someone like that would naturally donate her organs. At least by donating her organs something good could come out of [the tragedy].”

I agree! I’ve made clear to my family that, in the event of my death, they should totally tear me apart and use every possible part of me to improve or save someone else’s life. I mean, I’m dead, dude. I don’t need those parts anymore. It’s like a final gift you can leave to the world when you leave it. I think it’s awesome, and huge props to Natasha for making that decision.

As for her husband and her kids? They’re hanging in there, as much as anyone can in the face of such a tragedy. I’m sure they’re largely still in shock. “Liam is doing okay,” says family friend Blaine Trump. “It takes a while to absorb this. But he says the family needs to move forward. They will take it one step at a time.”

Liamn was expected to return to work on the Toronto set of his upcoming drama Chloe, and the boys were headed back to school. “With good friends by their side,” says Trump, “they will get through the tough days ahead.”

Thoughts and prayers are with his family that they find hope and strength in this horrible time!!!

11 CommentsLeave a comment

  • Beet, dh and I have been having this conversation lately…and we totally agree. I want everything that can be donated to be donated and the rest to be cremated… I’m still in shock that this happened… I didn’t even know they were married until this all happened. RIP and my thoughts go out to the family.

  • I can’t believe that everyone doesn’t donate their organs.

    Remember, folks–look into how you can have this set up!!! You HAVE to specify that you want to be an organ donor!!

  • Did you know that even if you are an organ donor, the person who controls your fate in the case of a vegetative state ultimately controls your organs?

    For example, if I am in a coma and brain dead, even though I am officially an organ donor, my mom would have to agree to donate before it can be done? Isn’t that bananas? That’s one of the things they told me when I signed up.

    Basically, they told me to make sure that my loved ones were aware of my choices in case something happened to me.

    So I told my mom, “If I go into a coma, pull the plug… but make sure to let them get all the pieces they can.”

    Like you said, what do I care? I’m dead. I am going to be cremated anyway… who will know what is or isn’t there? Take it all, shit. Less work for the crematorium. Heh.

  • Good for her, and good for her family. What a beautiful thing to be able to draw out of tragedy. I am on the NHS’s organ donor list here in England, and I’ve told my husband that I want anything that can be saved to be given to help someone else.

    It’s really important to get lots of people signed up for donation, because many people’s organs can’t be used because of the manner in which they died – so only a little bit of every body is suitable for donation. The younger the person when they died, the fitter they are to be a donor – so I think it’s especially wonderful of her family to take the fact that she died young and turn it into something that can give hope to someone.

    Prayers for them.

  • i have a living will, which everyone should have. it allows you to make decisions not just about organ donation (which is so important!) but about things like do you want DNR (do not resucitate), do you want to be kept alive at all costs, do you want to be hydrated but not fed, etc. it is important wiwth the feeding tube, because here’s the thing: once the tube is in place, it is very tricky legally to have it removed. also, as tracy pointed out, youu have to have someone appointed to legally carry out these decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself – the paper isn’t quite enough. so if you don’t want to linger on in a coma, with everyone fighting over what to do, you should get a will in place now.

  • at least in my country there is a good thing apart from sunshine,
    everyone is a donor unless she or he specifies legally that is not willing to be one
    meaning that the families cannot change the law, even if they do not agree with it
    on the other hand, a person who legally specified she or he does not want to be a donor, can still benefit from donation.