Prince Friso in Critical Condition Following Skiing Accident: February 17, 2012


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I think the two princes and their wives had no choice. Either they should have sent back all their kids + the 2 Friso's girls (!!!) or since the kids stay there they have to keep them busy. What else could they do? Keep them inside and make them feel adult's grief and agony? no!
 
Perhaps mentioned by someone else but I am surprised that the queen and mabel wear black when visiting friso
 
I'm getting a little confused now.

What are the official hard facts regarding Prince Friso's condition?

So far from all sort of sources we have learned that:

He was buried in snow for up to 20 minutes. - Check.
He bodytemperature was reduced when he was dug out - Check.
He was unconscious when dug out and he to be resuscitated. - Check.
He is either in coma or is in artificial coma. - Which?
He knocked his head or he has a skull frature. - Correct?
He was able to breathe for an unknown length of time, while being buried. - Correct?
He underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. - Correct?
The doctors cannot tell at present whether he will recover completely. Is braindead. Or may suffer from a braindamage until in a couple of days more. - Correct?
Thanks for this post Muhler which shows what happens when press relations are not properly managed. It has been mentioned elsewhere here (the excellent Lucien, I believe, our correspondent in Amsterdam:flowers:) that one of the leading Dutch dailies, NRC Handelsblad, has a correspondent in Innsbruck whose husband just happens to be a neurosurgeon giving workshops at the hospital where Prince Friso is being treated. Needless to say, Ms Koelewijn (the lady in question) took it upon herself to report what one of her husband's colleagues, the neurosurgeon treating the prince, had said regarding the prince's condition. In all fairness, she did identify herself as a newsreporter, so that the prince's doctor was aware that what he said would be published. Normally of course, the Dutch government news service RVD manages all communication with the Royal Household, but in this case the Dutch newspaper NRC felt it ethically correct to publish Ms Koelewijn's report. In this way, too much information is now fluttering about like snowflakes, causing confusion and distraction, as you point out. :bang:
 
CNN finally mentioned the Prince's accident this morning. The report said simply: 'Dutch prince severely hurt in Austrian avalanche.' It's not much, but any Dutch-Americans who may have been watching and didn't know about the accident have been informed.
 
My thoughts and prayers are with Prince Friso and all his family, and I am praying that he will make a full recovery. It's good that his brothers and sister-in-laws are taking the kids out and keeping them busy. I'm sure that the adults aren't allowed to spend much time with Prince Friso, and children most definitely wouldn't be allowed to visit him anyway. I'm glad that his brothers have gotten there to be with him. I have a feeling that if the Dutch government had tried to stop them, they would have gone anyway. I know that I would this if either of my brothers was in the hospital with a serious injury--nothing would stop me from getting there.
 
It's good for them to do some skiing, as exercise helps with stress. I don't think the Dutch government would try to stop the brothers from going to Lech. They have all gone to Austria on vacation together in the past.
 
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Perhaps mentioned by someone else but I am surprised that the queen and mabel wear black when visiting friso


It is sometimes difficult to make decisions in the midst of such an event. This type of a situation is horrible to go through. The fear and crushing anxiety that comes with waiting for a miracle recovery of a loved family member is overwhelming. Sometimes one just numbly goes through the motions of life and it is difficult to believe that what is happening is really happening. Someone or a staff member probably suggested black, anyhow, if they wore orange or red that would be criticized too.

My prayers are with the Queen's family.
 
This period of waiting must be so agonizing for them; so long and drawn out wondering what will be the outcome.
 
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SAD Photos Queen Beatrix she Look Not Good at All , GOD SAVE HIM :ermm:
 
I'm getting more doubtful and worried as time goes by- the expressions on the Senior Dutch Royals faces so glum, the announcement of no change in his condition, just looks bad all around. I DO believe in miracles, and will pray for one in mass this afternoon.
 
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Perhaps mentioned by someone else but I am surprised that the queen and mabel wear black when visiting friso

Almost all my winter clothes are black so to me that wouldn't be unusual. Where i live we are getting quite a bit of snow and black makes you more visiable.

I think the family is doing what they do best, pulling together for support during this time.
 
CNN actually had it on its ticker and website since Friday. It's how i learned of the accident.
 
I stand corrected about CNN, then. I saw it for the first time only this morning. It just proves that the cable networks like to rehash old news for 2 or 3 days after the incident has happened.
 
I stand corrected about CNN, then. I saw it for the first time only this morning. It just proves that the cable networks like to rehash old news for 2 or 3 days after the incident has happened.

Hang on, so the first time you criticised them for 'finally mentioning it', now you're criticising them for rehashing the story.
The majority of the news stations keep the same stories running for a few days when new information is added to the same articles. BBC News and Daily Mail have added new pieces of information to their existing articles on the Prince's accident. News stations aren't going to know everything at once because the priority is obviously the condition of the injured party.
 
Avalanche Accident

I hope that the Prince of Orange- Nassau is doing well at this time. I wonder who will be assuming his duties while he is on sick leave. Let us all hope for a speedy recovery and thank the avalanche team for saving his life.
 
Suzzanah said:
I hope that the Prince of Orange- Nassau is doing well at this time. I wonder who will be assuming his duties while he is on sick leave. Let us all hope for a speedy recovery and thank the avalanche team for saving his life.

My dear i think that he is fighting for his life. No question for anything else at this moment!
 
My understanding is that they used CPR on him, which means he was not just unconscious when retrieved, but that his heart had stopped. It was not merely pulmonary resuscitation and it did take awhile. Essentially, he was dead when they got him out of the snow. But, with young, healthy individuals, the muscles can restart and respond and the heart can start beating again - it's all about the brain at that point. It is simply not possible that his brain would be in perfect condition after such an event; but no one knows the extent of his injury. That's why the amount of time he could breathe under the avalanche is significant - and that's not something anyone can know for sure.

Most of the time, when people survive avalanche burials, they have not lost consciousness and are dug out in 2-3 minutes, not 20 minutes. The family has to have been prepared for the worst by the doctors - which, in their case, is that he is technically alive (brain stem is working) but may never regain normal brain function. This is one of the worst nightmares any family could go through.

So, everyone waits. Naturally, the family has been given grievous news about his medical situation, because while he might continue to live - indefinitely - in this state, he may never actually be functioning again. No one knows. The doctors cannot know. As his core temperature dropped, his body used less oxygen (which is good) but no one knows how long his brain was without oxygen. If the first responders took 3-4 minutes to revive him, that's an extra 3-4 minutes wtihout oxygen, and that's not good. The family has been told all of this, hence the grieving.

It is very sad and ironic that he's named after someone who died in an accident through lack of oxygen (drowning) and very strange.

How old are those darling children and what are their names? If there is no miracle for Prince Friso, let us all pray that the children will be strengthened by all our well wishes and energy sent toward them.

Monarchies represent the survival of human families over long periods of time, and many of us pay attention when something threatens a monarch or his/her family. I guess I understand the allure of high risk skiing (skiing out of bounds in avalanche territory, skiiing really fast when there are trees, skiing in avalanche season, etc.)

It is fun or perhaps compelling, especially for men, to take those kinds of risks. look at Prince Harry preparing for the front lines in Afghanistan. Prince William's chosen profession is not without risk, either. Jousting was popular for the same reasons.

This is all just me rambling, trying to understand a tragedy and continuing to hope and pray that in this case, with such good medical care and a physically fit, fairly young prince, the outcome will be good. The Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head has made a miraculous and marvelous recovery (with deficits of course, but I believe she and her family are well-pleased and coping well with the outcome).
 
His accident made the TV news here either Friday night or Saturday morning. But I haven't seen anything since, which doesn't mean, nothing has been mentioned since. We have an ethnic TV channel here showing Dutch German Russian French Greek & Arabic news etc. So the accident may have been mentioned on several of these and I didn't see it. Hoping for the best for him.
 
Insightful words, Princess Kaimi. I think most of the shock also has to do with the fact that they were on vacation and you wouldn't think anything would happen during a fun-loving, relaxed time, but when you engage in a high-risk activity such as skiing the percentage of injury or death can increase. And anything can and will happen. Look at the late actress Natasha Richardson, who slipped and fell at the base of a ski slope and wasn't wearing a helmet, and died of a brain clot or hemorrhage soon afterward. And she wasn't even skiing. Unfortunately, you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or may make decisions that can have dire consequences. Nevertheless, there is always hope that because the body is a mysterious machine it can recover/repair itself in some way. U.S. Senator Gabrielle Giffords, to whom you were referring, is such an example - shot in the head and making an amazing, albeit slow, recovery.

Also, his children's names are Zaria and Luana but I don't know their ages. I'm sure someone on the board can help out.
 
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How old are those darling children and what are their names?

Their eldest daughter has the given name Emma, but is known as Luana instead, she's almost 7. Their second daughter had the given name Joanna but is known as Zaria instead, she's almost 6.
 
It seems like there have been a lot of avalanches this year. There have been several this winter here in Montana and several have died in them, including very experienced skiers and snowboarders.
It's mostly the very experienced skiers and snowboarders who die in avalanches because the unexperienced ones usually don't leave the safe zones. The Finnish skier who died today was also off the regular pist. An Austrian Alpine official said that people are skiing everywhere despite massive avalanche warning because the danger is apparently part of the fun (motto: No risk, no fun. The riskier, the funnier). Why a father of 2 very young children takes such a risk is beyond me, I dare say.

I wish Johan Friso a full recovery, for his children and wife and family. So far he has been very lucky (rescued after only 15-20 minutes, no other people harmed), hopefully his luck will continue.
 
TRH The Prince of Orange and Princess Mabel arrived at the hospital halve an hour ago.It is the first time Alexander will see his brother after the accident.

In a statement issued by the RVD on behalve of HM she expresses the deep gratitude for all the support and attention she and Princess Mabel and all other members of her family receive.Her Majesty says she and all other members of the RF are deeply touched,and that they find comfort in this sad time.

There also was the request not to either film nor photograph the children of Prince Friso and Princess Mabel anymore as of tomorrow.The two girls had been almost harassed and photographed extremely often these past few days in Lech.

PM Mark Rutte will leave for his popstponed wintersport holiday tomorrow but will remain in close contact with HM and the RVD and will immediatly return if need be.

Communiqué issued this evening by the RVD on behalve of Her Majesty:

http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/globale-paginas/taalrubrieken/english/news/
 
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There also was the request not to either film nor photograph the children of Prince Friso and Princess Mabel anymore as of tomorrow.The two girls had been almost harassed and photographed extremely often these past few days in Lech.

They have been harassing those poor little girls? That is awful.
 
An Austrian Alpine official said that people are skiing everywhere despite massive avalanche warning because the danger is apparently part of the fun (motto: No risk, no fun. The riskier, the funnier). Why a father of 2 very young children takes such a risk is beyond me, I dare say.

Many newspaper reports over the years have led me to believe that especially many young 'flatlanders' like Danes (and now Dutch) are tempted to go off piste! Because they only have a superficial knowledge of mountains and alpine skiing they don't pay sufficient attention to the actual dangers! Unfortunately many fool themselves into believing that nothing can happen them because they think they are in control:sad:.

In Denmark there's a similar phenomenon at the Jutland West Coast:
every summer several 'inland' tourist are either losing their lives or drifting away from the beach because they're unfamiliar with the sea and its nature and especially, the treacherous undercurrents in this particular part of the North Sea. Most Danes know this because they have warned by their parents from early on.

viv
 
They have been harassing those poor little girls? That is awful.


Leave it to the paparazzi to know how to cross the line. I'm neither surprised, nor sickened, by what I hear re: their behavior. I've come to understand that this is what they do, and they do it well.
 
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