This morning people are mourning the death of Natasha Richardson, wife of Liam Neeson, mother of two, and Tony award winning actress.

While skiing on a 'bunny slope' with a ski instructor at a resort in Quebec, Richardson fell.  By all reports it was a simple fall.  She laughed about her clumsiness, signed a waver refusing to see a doctor, and walked away.  Within an hour she complained of headache and not feeling well.  Everything went downhill from there.  She lapsed into a coma and died last night at a New York hospital.

Traumatic brain injury kills 50,000 people every year. 1.2 million people are treated at emergency departments and released. 

How could this have happened?  Sadly, there are a couple of ways.  Even a simple bump on the head can tear one of the blood vessels on the surface of the brain.  If the bleeding goes unchecked it can cause a clot that lodges under the skull and pushes on sensitive brain tissue.

The rule of thumb is to be observed after a head injury to watch for subtle neurological changes that can be an indication of a bigger problem.  Orinetation to date, time, and place are a beginning.  Who is the president?  Can you subtract simple numbers?

Other things to watch out for are headache, one-sided weakness or paralysis, lethargy, convulsions, and coma.  If any of those symptoms are present, a CT or MRI are indicated with the goal of finding the clot and removing it.

Helmets can make a difference but only for skiers and snowboarders who ski 20 mph or less.  For speed demons there is no indication that helmets make that much of a difference.

And, of course, it's important to remember that sometimes bad things happen to good people even when all around them have good intentions.  There is so much sadness with this story and it is rarely OK to blame the victim.  As we all think about the life and legacy of Natsha Richardson, this is a gentle reminder that even a simple bump on the head can be serious.  And in order to figure out if there is an impending crisis, simple observation by a health care worker might make a difference. 

I had only met Natasha twice during my tenure at Good Morning America.  She was lovely, down to earth and everyone's friend.  This is a very sad morning.