Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston and R&B singer Bobby Brown, is slowly being taken out of a medically-induced coma by doctors at Emory University Hospital nearly a month after being found unresponsive in a bathtub.
"We're all hoping and praying that this will give us some answers," a family source told the AP. "We're hoping for a significant change...but we know that it may not change anything."
The source emphasized that the 21 year old will remain on life support, which includes a ventilator and feeding tube as her condition remains "severe."
"There will be a sign of hope, and then nothing," explained a family source. "Every day, we wonder if this will be the day that we get good news."
Dr. Subhashini Ramesh, a professor of NeuroCritical Care at Georgia Regents University, explained the rationale behind the decision to take Bobbi Kristina out of a coma.
"They take them off a medically induced coma for two reasons - because the underlying problem has improved, or to simply get a sense of what the patient is able to do for themselves," he told People Magazine.
On Wednesday, doctors inserted a tracheostomy tube into Bobbi Kristina's throat to prevent any infection from her breathing tube, as previously reported by the Gospel Herald.
Bobbi Kristina has been in a medically induced coma since she was found face down and not breathing in the bathtub of her Atlanta home in late last month. 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, but does not mean she is brain dead.
"Obviously, she did not meet the criteria for brain death if she underwent a tracheostomy," Dr. Ramesh says. "She still could have a devastating injury, though."
Bobbi Kristina's mother, popular singer Whitney Houston, was found dead in an strangely similar way three years ago, face-down in a Beverly Hills Hilton bathtub. The cause of death for the "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" singer was ruled as drowning due to a cocaine-induced heart attack However, the reason for her daughter's condition remains unknown, as no drugs were found in her system.
Police reports have revealed that Bobbi Kristina had "certain injuries" on her when she was found, leading them 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, Gordon has been banned from visiting the hospital by Bobbi Kristina's father, Bobby Brown, due to his refusal to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. On Wednesday, Gordon filed a restraining order against police who have been investigating him, only heightening widespread suspicion regarding his involvement.
In a statement released over the weekend, Brown revealed that Gordon was originally offered an opportunity to visit Bobbi Kristina, but "declined to meet the terms of any possible visit."
"Obviously Mr. Gordon is not as desperate to visit Bobbi Kristina as he wants the world to believe," Brown said in a statement through his lawyer. "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."
Despite the ongoing drama with Gordon, a Brown family source told the AP they are trying to focus on Bobbi Kristina's well-being, and have asked for continued prayers.
"We are leaving the investigation in the hands of the authorities," the source said. "Our focus has always been Bobbi Kristina's health and recovery. That's all that matters to us right now."
