A publicist for Anne Heche told Yahoo Entertainment in a statement late Thursday that the Hung star is “not expected to survive” after suffering brain damage during a car accident. A statement on behalf of Heche’s family reads:
The family thanked friends and fans “for their kind wishes and prayers” as well as the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital. The statement concluded:
“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition. She is not expected to survive. It has long been her choice to donate her organs, and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable. Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit.”
An outpouring of support and well-wishes have continued to flow for Heche and for the family whose home she crashed into. Lynne Mishele, whose home was destroyed when it went up in flames in the crash, suffered minor injuries and neighbors have started a GoFundMe page to help her replace “an entire lifetime of possessions, mementos, all equipment for her business, all of her clothing and basic necessities.”
“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love. She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”
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What Is an Anoxic Brain or Cerebral Anoxia Injury?
CBS
According to brain injury association Headway, an anoxic brain injury occurs when oxygen supply to the brain is interrupted which can cause irreversible damage to the brain. A statement on its website reads:
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the 53-year-old’s vehicle struck a two-story home and “erupted in heavy fire. A resident was at home but was outside in the back garden and was uninjured. LAPD has confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a felony driving-under-the-influence (DUI) traffic collision.
“Oxygen is needed for the brain to make use of glucose, its major energy source. If the oxygen supply is interrupted, consciousness will be lost within 15 seconds and damage to the brain begins to occur after about four minutes without oxygen.”
