Anne Heche is ‘not expected to survive,’ family says in statement

Anne Heche, who remains hospitalized after crashing her vehicle into a Los Angeles residence last week, is “not expected to survive,” according to a statement from her family and friends shared with CNN by a representative.

“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,” the statement read. “It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable.”
Anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen.
Last Friday, Heche was in a car that was traveling at a high speed when it ran off the road and collided with a residence that became engulfed in flames, Los Angeles Police Public Information Officer Jeff Lee told CNN.
A woman inside the home at the time of the crash suffered minor injuries, but did seek medical attention, according to Lee.
Heche has remained in critical condition. This week, a spokesperson for Heche told CNN the actress suffered “significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation” and “burns that require surgical intervention.”
“We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital,” the statement continued.

In their message, her family and friends also paid tribute to Heche’s “huge heart” and “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,” the statement read. “She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”
Heche rose to fame on the soap opera “Another World,” where she played the dual role of twins Vicky Hudson and Marley Love from 1987 to 1991. She earned a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance on the show.
Heche followed that success with numerous films, including “Donnie Brasco,” “Wag the Dog” and “Six Days Seven Nights” opposite Harrison Ford.
In more recent years, Heche has appeared in television shows like “The Brave,” “Quantico,” and “Chicago P.D.”
Following the crash, there was an outpouring of support for the actress from the Hollywood community. Her ex and former “Men in Trees” co-star James Tupper, with whom she shares one of her two sons, wrote on Instagram: “Thoughts and prayers for this lovely woman, actress and mother tonight Anne Heche. We love you.”