Vanessa Redgrave sang a last lullaby to daughter Natasha Richardson before making the decision to switch off the life-support machine.
British actress Vanessa Redgrave sang the song Edelweiss from the 1966 hit film The Sound of Music as the last lullaby to daughter Natasha Richardson before making the heartbreaking decision to switch off the life-support machine.
Richardson, also an actress, died on Wednesday in a New York hospital two days after a ski accident on Monday which left her brain dead.
The Oscar-winning Redgrave, 72, tenderly stroked her daughter's face as she softly sang the melody from The Sound Of Music, the Daily Mail reported.
It was the same song Redgrave had performed for her daughter's first marriage to Robert Fox way back in 1990.
Richardson died after suffering a fall on Monday during a beginner's skiing lesson at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada where she was holidaying with her two children.
The actress was not wearing a helmet when the accident occurred. She was hit on the left side of her face, tearing a blood vessel in her brain. It later proved fatal.
Richardson looked fine after the incident but started complaining of severe headaches after about an hour. Reports suggested that the actress's life could have been saved had an ambulance sent to the scene not been turned away.
A post-mortem was conducted on Richardson by the New York medical examiner's office confirmed that an accidental blunt impact to the head had caused her death, the newspaper reported.
The actress is survived by her husband, actor Liam Neeson, and their sons Michael, 13, and Daniel Jack, 12.
In a statement, the family said: "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love, and prayers of everyone."
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