Gabby Giffords Speaks 1st Words, May Attend NASA Space Launch

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: It's only been one month since Gabrielle Giffords was so seriously injured, shot at her political meet and greet. She has astounded doctors with her strong will to recover. She has met with shouts of joy when she first understood commands, moved her legs, and now has uttered her first words. Just this week, Monday morning, Gabby requested the one word, "toast" with her breakfast. I guess she was tired of yogurt and oatmeal, wanting something that tasted different.

Currently, Gabby is doing speech therapy every day, several hours a day she is so motivated to get back to her life as she knew it. When she was shot, the bullet went through the left side of her brain, the side that controls speech. Doctors were not sure she would speak again.

It's good to know Gabby is able to eat three meals a day, a good indicator her appetite is back and her body healing well. The doctors say "she is recovering at lightning speed but that this is a marathon process." Hopefully, if all goes well, Gabby will be able to attend her husband's space shuttle launch for the Endeavor.

Natasha Richardson Mourned as a Wonderful Woman

"Tributes have begun to pour in from across the show business generations for Natasha Richardson, the Tony Award-winning actress who died after suffering a head injury on a ski slope.

"She was a wonderful woman and actress and treated me like I was her own," said Lindsay Lohan, who as a preteen starred with Richardson in a remake of "The Parent Trap" in 1998. "My heart goes out to her family. This is a tragic loss."

Richardson fell during a private lesson Monday at a ski resort in Quebec. She was not wearing a helmet. The 45-year-old actress was seemingly fine afterward, but about an hour later, she complained that she didn't feel well. She was hospitalized Tuesday in Montreal and later flown to a hospital in New York.

Alan Nierob, the Los Angeles-based publicist for Richardson's husband, Liam Neeson, confirmed her death Wednesday without giving details on the cause."

By HILLEL ITALIE @ AP

From Denny: Her passing sure is surreal. What is even more strange is this business of the collective soul awareness. I scheduled a poem on Monday to appear for Friday where I wrote with a forward about, you guessed it, brain injury, this time my own suffered from a car accident where I couldn't write for over two years.

The poem for Friday is what it's like to suffer a brain injury and how you perceive experiencing a 9 month long ordeal for the brain to awaken to full consciousness. I'm extremely lucky to have fully recovered considering the high velocity impact when the brain is only geared to sustain injuries at 15 mph. See my latest post on The Soul Calendar blog for that article about brain injury.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Natasha's family, especially her young children, and friends. She will be missed by many yet welcomed into Heaven. I always enjoyed her hearty laugh for it was so genuine and contagious you couldn't help but laugh with her. Natasha, you are a class act!

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Comment from Patrick:

The Lasting Tribute website has updated its memorial pages to include Natasha Richardson: LastingTribute.Co.UK

It's a respectful memorial to Natasha and somewhere to pay tribute to the family's fortitude at this difficult time.

EVERY comment is monitored so that nothing offensive or inappropriate is published.

March 19, 2009 9:02 AM

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