Texas Child Removed from Life Support
A 2-year-old girl named Annelise Camp, whose parents sued a Texas hospital to delay brain-death testing after she drowned in a hotel pool, passed away this week. Her parents, Johnston and Joy Camp, expressed in a statement that she is “now with Jesus.” This follows a judge’s temporary injunction that favored the family, who believed Annelise showed signs of life and wanted more time for recovery.
Breathing tubes were removed from Annelise on Monday, leading to her passing, as confirmed by her grandfather, Steve Camp. A church service is planned for next Wednesday in Houston.
The Texas Right to Life organization supported the family’s legal battle. They mentioned that the legal victory afforded the family two additional months with Annelise, allowing for potential recovery.
Annelise was discovered unconscious in a hotel pool and brought to Texas Children’s Hospital. Her parents opposed doctors’ recommendations for brain-death testing and sought alternative treatments. Court records revealed her heart continued to beat, but she relied on a ventilator.
Despite the family’s requests to transfer Annelise to another hospital, Texas Children’s aimed to perform brain-death testing to decide future treatments. Most contacted facilities declined to accept Annelise without brain-death testing. Eventually, the family succeeded in moving her to a Louisiana hospital. She later returned to Texas and was treated at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.
Texas law defines brain death as an irreversible loss of brain function. Hospitals can withdraw life support once a patient is declared brain-dead under this law. Johnston Camp highlighted the importance of time in assessing Annelise’s condition, noting her physical signs appeared positive.
Support for the family also came from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argued for Annelise’s right to a supportive medical team. In July, her family reported seeing “encouraging signs” and pursued diverse treatment options through a GoFundMe page.