Revived toddler still in critical condition
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The toddler was revived after being found face-down in a swimming pool.
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A toddler, pronounced dead after allegedly drowning in her family pool, was found to be alive by police examiners.
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ORANGE, California (AP) -- Early tests on a toddler who was revived nearly two hours after she was presumed drowned found no signs of brain damage, a family lawyer said.
Her doctor, however, warned that the risk of damage remained high.
Twenty-month-old Mackayala Jespersen has been in critical condition since she was revived Friday -- 40 minutes after doctors had declared her dead -- and her vital signs were stable Monday, said Dr. James Cappon at the Children's Hospital of Orange County.
"The small progress that she has made is surprising and at some level encouraging," Cappon said.
He added: "She is at very high risk to have sustained some damage, even permanent damage, but the extent of which remains to be determined."
Family attorney Brian Oxman said the girl was able to put her arms around her mother, but it was hard to say if it was a hug because the girl was sedated.
A CAT scan of her brain determined the girl would "not be in any vegetative condition, nor will she be someone who's got to be cared for her bodily functions," Oxman said. It was unclear whether she might have lesser damage, he said.
The girl was found floating face down in her family's swimming pool Friday morning and was rushed to Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, where doctors pronounced her dead.
Forty minutes later, police Detective Mike Kendrick was conducting a routine investigation into the death when he noticed Mackayala's chest was moving. He summoned doctors, who were able to revive her.
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