Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Family Keep Bedside Vigil

3 minute read

They never leave her side.

Sometimes praying, sometimes sitting in stunned silence, Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family has gathered at a Georgia hospital to await word of the 21-year-old’s condition. There has been little change: the only daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown has remained unresponsive since she was found unconscious in a bathtub on Saturday.

Despite the troubling prognosis of the girl they call “Krissi,” the family clings to hope for her recovery. “The swelling [in her brain] has gone down,” says a family source. “The doctor says that that by itself isn’t the smoking gun that she’s getting better, but it’s still a good sign. But she’s still not reacting.”

See Bobbi Kristina Brown and Her Family in Photos

Various - 1993
Whitney Houston holds her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown on June 15, 1993. Eugene Adebari—REX USA
Bobbi Kristina Brown;Whitney Houston;Bobby Brown [& Family]
Whitney Houston sits with singer husband Bobby Brown who is holding their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in Jan. 1994.Ron Wolfson—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Eighth Annual Soul Train Music Awards - Arrivals
Singer Bobby Brown and daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown attend the Eighth Annual Soul Train Music Awards on March 15, 1994 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.Ron Galella—WireImage
WHITNEY HOUSTON ACCEPTS AWARD AT BET AWARDS IN LAS VEGAS.
Whitney Houston accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards show at the Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino in Las Vegas on June 19, 2001.Reuters
Being Bobby Brown
The Brown family poses for a portrait for their reality television show 'Being Bobby Brown.' Left to Right: Pops Brown, Whitney Houston, Tommy Brown, Bobby Brown Jr., La'princia Brown, Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown.F. Scott Schafer—NBC/Getty Images
Whitney Houston In Concert
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Whitney Houston perform in Central Park on Sept. 1, 2009 in New York City. Ben Hider—Getty Images
The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Salute To Icons Honoring David Geffen - Inside
From Left: Singer Whitney Houston, Singer Dionne Warwick and Bobbi Kristina Brown arrive at the 2011 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons on Feb. 12, 2011 in Beverly Hills.Larry Busacca—Getty Images
Bobbi Kristina Brown is reportedly "fighting for her life" as she remains hospitalized after being found unconscious in her Georgia home (File Photos) **NO DIALY MAIL SALES**
Bobbi Kristina Brown joins her mother Whitney Houston in Jan. 2012 on an outing in Beverly Hills.Splash News/Corbis
We Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute to Whitney Houston - Backstage
Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown attend "We Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute to Whitney Houston" at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Oct. 11, 2012 in Los Angeles.Christopher Polk—WireImage

It’s a somber, agonizing vigil for the Houston and Brown families. On Super Bowl Sunday, while millions of Americans were watching the big game, the family hardly glanced at the muted TV in the waiting room. “No one was watching it,” says a family source. “Everyone is so worried about Krissi.”

Instead, they take turns visiting Bobbi Kristina in her private room in the intensive care unit. Entering the room in groups of two or three, they speak to her quietly, telling her stories of happier times. “If she’s in there somewhere, we want her to hear us,” a family member tells PEOPLE. “We keep it positive. We tell her that God loves her, that we love her. That America is praying for her and that everyone loves her.”

One person remains constantly by Bobbi Kristina’s side: her father, Bobby Brown. “He’s so upset,” says the family source. “He can hardly put one foot in front of the other.”

The family anxiously awaits the results of the neurological tests that doctors perform three times a day. They test for brain activity: response to painful stimuli, dilation of pupils, any signs of recovery. The doctors brief Bobby Brown about his daughter’s condition – and he tells the family members in the waiting room.

And there’s a message that the family has for the American public. “The family appreciates your support,” Bobbi Kristina’s cousin, Jerod Brown, tells PEOPLE. “Please, everyone continue to pray for BK.”

“At this point, we want people to pray for a miracle,” adds another family member. “We are putting our faith in God.”

This story was originally published in PEOPLE.com. For more on Bobbi Kristina Brown, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

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