HOUSTON — The parents of 2-year-old Annelise Camp have sued Texas Children's Hospital to prevent the facility from conducting brain death testing following a Memorial Day drowning incident. A court granted the family's request for a temporary injunction as they seek a permanent halt to the testing. Annelise entered a hotel pool without a life jacket on Memorial Day, and family members pulled her from the water to perform CPR until first responders arrived.

Annelise was transported to the hospital's west Houston location, where her heartbeat returned after an hour. Physicians stated in court documents that they had exhausted all treatment options and advised brain death testing. The Camps have refused the testing, citing religious beliefs in court filings. Court documents note that while Annelise's heart is beating, she remains dependent on a ventilator.

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. Texas Children's Hospital stated it wants to conduct testing to determine next steps in medical care but has no imminent plans to end care. Hospital officials said they contacted 36 medical facilities regarding a transfer, but 35 declined. The single pending facility stated it would require brain death testing before considering a transfer.

The family seeks to transfer Annelise to another hospital for hyperbaric oxygen treatment or stem cell therapies. Texas Right to Life is working with the family and maintains that a person is alive as long as there is a heartbeat, stating that brain death is not consistent with the Christian faith. Texas state Representative Steve Toth said, "This is not settled science."

In 2023, the Texas Legislature amended the Texas Advance Directive Act to require hospitals to provide families 25 days' notice before removing life support, an increase from the previous 10-day period. That same year, state lawmakers expanded the Right to Try law to allow chronically ill patients access to investigational treatments if approved options have been exhausted; the law was previously limited to terminally ill patients.