Most Updated News: Family Asks for Prayers for Bobbi Kristina After She Has 'Violent' Setback
Doctors are preparing to take Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston, out of a medically induced coma three weeks after being found unresponsive in a bathtub.
On Wednesday, doctors at Emory University Hospital inserted a tracheostomy tube into Bobbi Kristina's throat to prevent any infection from her breathing tube, as previously reported by the Gospel Herald. According to a family source, doctors are now attempting to slowly lift her coma, but first must wean her off of the coma medication.
However, the family source told reporters that while Brown's condition remains unchanged, the removal from the ventilator does not indicate any decision has been made as to her life support.
"I've seen cases where you think the patient should come out of it and they don't. And of course there are cases where you're telling the family the patient may never come out of it and two days later they wake up," "Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, an ENT specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital, told the AP.
"Hopefully this is something that will be short for her and a speedy recovery is on the way."
Bobbi Kristina has been in a medically induced coma since she was found face down and not breathing in the bathtub of her suburban Atlanta home in late January. According to medical experts, the 21 year old was deprived of oxygen while in the bathtub for anywhere from two to fifteen minutes--which could mean significant brain damage. Although no drugs were found in her system, police have confirmed that drugs were found at the scene.
Bobbi Kristina's mother, world-renowned singer Whitney Houston, was found dead in an eerily similar way three years ago, face-down in a Beverly Hills Hilton bathtub. The cause of death for the "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" singer was ruled as drowning due to a heart attack brought on by cocaine use, but the reason for her daughter's condition remains unknown.
However, according to police reports, Bobbi Kristina had "certain injuries" on her when she was found, leading police to treat the case as a criminal investigation. Experts believe the 21 year old's boyfriend, Nick Gordon, who was at home with her when she was found unresponsive, may be at fault for her current condition. According to reports, the young couple experienced a tumultuous, and often violent, relationship.
In social media posts released over the weekend, Gordon said he's been prevented from visiting Bobbi Kristina by her father, R&B singer Bobby Brown.
"Let me in the hospital to see my girl and let her hear my voice," he tweeted Saturday. "If she hears my voice, let me massage her, play her favorite music I believe it will help."
However, Bobbi Kristina's father denied the accusation, saying Gordon was offered a chance to visit her, but refuses to cooperate with the police investigation.
"Let me be very clear, Mr. Gordon was offered an opportunity to potentially visit Bobbi Kristina and he declined to meet the terms of any possible visit," Brown said in a statement through his lawyer, Christopher Brown.
"Obviously Mr. Gordon is not as desperate to visit Bobbi Kristina as he wants the world to believe. At least not desperate enough to inform Bobby Brown, in writing, what happened to Bobbi Kristina...Due to Mr. Gordon's failure to place in tangible form his understanding of the events that lead to the hospitalization of Bobbi Kristina, there is no reason for any additional discussion with him."
According to NBC News, Gordon was taken in by Houston when he was 12 years old, but never formally adopted. After Houston's death, Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown claimed to be engaged, but an investigation has revealed the two were never married.
In the meantime, Bobbi Kristina's family continue to hope for her recovery, and have asked the public for continued prayers.
We continue to request privacy in this matter," Bobby Brown said in a statement. "We thank everyone that supports Bobbi Kristina and God is healing our prayers."
