This evening, I heard about the sad loss of Natasha Richardson, a beautiful actress and mother of 2 children.

I was one of the lucky ones that recovered after a traumatic head injury 10 years ago. I did not wear my bicycle helmet on a short 6-mile ride with my husband on a sunny Sunday afternoon. What was I thinking? I never wore a helmet. I was not a serious bicyclist. Bicycling was a weekend fun outlet. Bicycle racers like my cousin Heather, wear helmets. Not me.

While attempting to cross railroad tracks, my bike tires became trapped in the rail and I went down. My naked and unprotected head took the brunt of the impact. I do remember that there was blood everywhere. I have no memory of anything after seeing the blood and being cradled in the arms of a woman that I did not know. She said, “Just keep talking to me.”

The next memory is of waking in the Emergency Room. I was so confused and wow my head really hurt.

I learned later that over 5 hours had passed since the accident. I had suffered a seizure. The hospital had run X-rays, a CAT scan and stitched up my head. I was admitted to the hospital for observation.

However, my angels were watching out for me that day. I woke up. Many brain injury victims do not wake up or recover. The bruises on the outside and the stitches in my head healed in a week.

My brain was not as quick to recover. It took about 9 months. I had difficulty finding words. Writing a business letter that was coherent was a challenge. A patient husband, co-workers and a loving family helped me through the recovery.

I am now a professional speaker. Part of my head injury story is at the core of one of my inspirational keynotes. My goal in sharing my story is to drive home the need to wear protective head covering for all sports. Weekend warrior, student athlete or professional athlete, the same rules apply.

Parents need to set the example for their children. If a parent says, “Do as I say not as I do” you are not fulfilling your duty as a parent.

There is no maximum age limit when you are too old to wear a helmet. Helmets save lives. I am sure that Natasha Richardson’s family wishes she had listened to this message last week and taken action.