Speaking from the hospital room where 3-year-old Isabella Santorum is making a “miraculous turnaround,” Rick Santorum said that he would get back to his campaign today with stops in western caucus states.
“She went through a very tough time the last 48 hours and this afternoon she made really a remarkable turn,” Santorum said last night of his daughter, who was rushed to the hospital on Saturday after developing pneumonia in both lungs.
Santorum said that Isabella, who also suffers from the genetic disorder Trisomy 18, was still in the ICU and was not yet ready to come home, but that doctors were encouraged by the improvements she’s made.
“We’ve still got a long way to go here but she has without a doubt turned the corner and we are very, very grateful,” he said.
Santorum had cleared his schedule yesterday to be with Isabella, but he’ll be back on the trail today with stops in Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado and Nevada.
Trisomy 18 is a condition where a child is born with three No. 18 chromosomes, as opposed to the usual two. About 90 percent of children with Trisomy 18 die before or during birth. If the child does manage to survive, 90 percent die within the first year. In short, Isabella Santorum is a miracle baby.
Rick Santorum and his wife Karen have seven children, but lost an eighth to the same affliction in 1996 when their son Gabriel died two hours after his premature birth.
At the time, their decision to let their other children meet little Gabriel, even though he had died, was considered controversial.
His children now attest, though, that they were glad to have “met” Gabriel before he was laid to rest.
Related articles
- Santorum’s hospitalized daughter shows improvement (philly.com)
- Prayers for Bella Santorum (michellemalkin.com)
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