Anne HecheThe actress’ family and friends were hoping for a miracle following the Emmy-winning actor’s horrific car accident last Friday. That didn’t happen and her loved ones make the difficult decision to take her off life support after she was declared brain dead. She is kept on a ventilator until it is determined whether organs not damaged in the accident and subsequent fire can be donated.
“We would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses who cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital.
“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,” a representative for Deadline told Deadline. Heche’s family and friends.
“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 big heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she considered spreading kindness and joy to be her life’s work, especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love. She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and will be sorely missed for her light.
Heche is expected to get Honor Walk, a hero’s farewell donor patients received by hospital staff as they are led into the operating room on their final journey.
Heche had been hospitalized since Friday, August 5, when she crashed her car into a house in Mar Vista and set it on fire. (The homeowner and her pet were able to evacuate.)
Fifty-nine firefighters battled the blaze, which had engulfed both Heche’s car and the house, for 65 minutes until it could be safely extracted from the wreckage. Heche could have communicated at the time of her rescue, but lost consciousness soon after and was never found. Since then, she has been in a coma.
Monday, August 8, Heche’s has been described as being in “extremely critical condition”.
“She has a significant lung injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns requiring surgery,” a rep for the actor said at the time.
There had been much speculation about Heche’s condition before the crash as she was filmed driving erratically and speeding in the minutes leading up to the crash, including getting into another accident minor car, blocks from the crash site. A blood test was taken after Heche was taken to hospital.
“Based on the blood work, this revealed the presence of narcotics,” LAPD Officer Lizeth Lomeli said. Deadline Wednesday, August 11.
Heche had recently completed filming the Lifetime movie Girl in room 13, which explores the dark underworld of the $150 billion human trafficking industry. Amy Winter, executive vice president and head of programming for Lifetime Networks, addressed Heche’s accident Thursday during a panel for the film at the Television Critics Association’s virtual press tour. Winter said the film’s premiere was still scheduled for September, as planned.
“This project is important to Anne, as well as to all of us,” Winter said. We all sought to make a film that would draw attention to this appalling problem of human sex trafficking. We hope this film has reached you and that you are just as inspired as Anne was to help us in our mission to end violence against women.