Bobbi Kristina Brown was removed from the ventilator that has kept her breathing since January 31st, but this wasn’t part of an end of life decision. She is still breathing through a tube, but now that tube has been inserted through a hole on the outside of her throat. She underwent a tracheotomy to have the breathing tube reinserted on Thursday.

According to a report from People magazine, this isn’t an unusual procedure for someone on a breathing tube for a lengthy time to undergo.

“The tracheotomy is a different place for the tube to go,” a family source explained to them. “Everything else remains the same. It’s a waiting game. The family is hoping and waiting.”

“It’s a normal procedure to have the tracheotomy because if you have a breathing tube down there for a long time, it can cause an infection,” the source added.

Bobbi Kristina Brown was found unresponsive in her bathtub in Roswell, Georgia nearly three weeks ago, supposedly by the man then believed to be her husband, Nick Gordon. Since that time, a rep for Bobby Brown has stated that Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown were never married. Whitney Houston raised Nick Gordon from the time he was twelve years old–alongside Bobbi Kristina.

While still in critical condition, Bobbi Kristina Brown undergoes a tracheotomy http://t.co/YkKcRerIae pic.twitter.com/K0pvrRrIjX

— People magazine (@peoplemag) February 19, 2015

Since the first days that Bobbi Kristina Brown was hospitalized, Nick Brown hasn’t been allowed back in her hospital room.

“She is still critical and we don’t know what the outcome will be,” a second family source says of Bobbi Kristina. “No one is giving up on this kid.”

“There’s a medical reason behind [the tracheotomy], but it’s making things clear to everyone how serious this is,” the source continued. “Even if she wakes up, there’s a possibility that this could do some damage to her vocal cords, I hear.”

Last week word spread about Bobbi Kristina Brown being taken off life support. There was no truth to that rumor.