Two-Year-Old Girl at Center of Texas Hospital Legal Battle Dies After Life Support Removed

A two-year-old girl, whose parents successfully sued a Texas hospital to prevent brain-death testing after she drowned in a hotel pool, has died after being removed from life support.

Annelise Camp’s family confirmed her passing this week, weeks after a judge granted a temporary injunction in their favor.

Her parents, Johnston and Joy Camp, released a statement saying Annelise "is now with Jesus." They added, "While our hearts are broken, we trust in His perfect love, His faithfulness, and His promises."

Annelise was found unconscious in a hotel pool on Memorial Day and subsequently admitted to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.

Days later, her parents petitioned a judge to block doctors from conducting brain-death tests, asserting she still showed signs of life and deserved more time to recover and explore treatment options.

Court documents, as reported by The Texas Tribune, indicated Annelise’s heart was beating, though she relied on a ventilator.

The Camps also sought to transfer her to another facility for alternative treatments.

Texas Children’s, however, maintained its desire to perform testing to guide her medical care, stating it had no immediate plans to cease treatment.

Hospital officials noted they had contacted 36 medical facilities regarding a transfer, with 35 declining and the remaining one requiring brain-death testing before consideration.

The family eventually secured a transfer for Annelise to a hospital in Louisiana.

State legislator Rep. Steve Toth informed The New York Times that Annelise was later brought back to Texas about a week ago, receiving care at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.

Annelise’s grandfather, Steve Camp, posted online that her breathing tubes were removed on Monday, and "When this procedure was done, she passed very quickly."

The family has not publicly stated the reasons behind the decision to remove her from life support.

The family’s legal battle garnered support from organizations like Texas Right to Life, which stated online, "This victory gave the Camp family two extra months with Annelise and provided her a chance to recover from her injury."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also weighed in, posting on X in June, "Annelise Camp is fighting for her life and deserves a medical team that will fight just as hard."

Texas law defines brain death as the irreversible cessation of brain function, allowing hospitals to withdraw life-sustaining measures once a patient is declared brain-dead.

Johnston Camp told KRIV-TV in June, "The big common denominator is time. And so when you have time, I know scientifically you can see a certain reading, but she is showing progressive results from her body or complexions, her vitals."

In July, the Camps had shared on a GoFundMe page that Annelise continued to show "encouraging signs" at the Louisiana hospital, adding, "We are pursuing every available option, including specialized and exploratory treatments that show promise."

A church service for Annelise is scheduled for next Wednesday in Houston.