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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Domenico Montanaro reports on Rick Santorum's daughter being taken to the hospital and the state of his presidential campaign.
Rick Santorum's daughter, Bella, afflicted with a chromosomal disorder, was taken to the hospital for the second time during this campaign. Santorum is home in Virginia for the Easter holiday.
"Rick and his wife Karen have taken their daughter Bella to the hospital," Santorum Communications Director Hogan Gidley said in a statement. "The family requests prayers and privacy as Bella works her way to recovery."
The Santorums have medical equipment in their Virginia home and and a nurse on call that can tend to Bella. Because of these accommodations, Bella only needs to be taken to the hospital when her condition is very serious, a person familiar with the situation told NBC News.
This is the second time during the campaign that his 3-year-old with Trisomy 18 has needed to be taken to a hospital. Santorum canceled events in late January after Bella was rushed to a Virginia hospital when she developed pneumonia in both lungs.
The Santorums prefer to take Bella to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, but the severity of the January incident caused the family to rush to a hospital closer to their Virginia home.
It is unclear at this time which hospital she has been admitted to.
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Not to worry, Frothy has the best health insurance tax-payer money can buy!
LOL,,, But they don't want anyone else to have it
Why share the best medical care in the world? That's for wealthy elected officials, not just anybody..........(Sheesh)
Not to be making a political statement, but there are 60 million families who will be without coverage of any sort if Romney gets elected.... I hope this story makes people think hard, really really hard
Are you seriously asking American voters to think hard?
I know, it's kinda like pissing into the ocean these days & hoping the wind doesn't blow it back on you, isn't it?
I want to wish Rick's daughter, Bella, a speedy recovery. This is a Santorum story of much sadness and yet such joy. In the spirit of Easter I have given Rick a brief reprise from my posts. When he comes back to the campaign as he says he will, then let's hope his focus is on beating Obama, his own record, and not attacking Romney. If, however, he chooses his own egocentric and delusional accusations he left off with before his trifecta losses in Wisconsin, Maryland, and D.C., I hope many of you will join me and other rational Americans who realize this party needs to unite now. We will make sure he will be embarrassed in his home State and his political future humiliated and finished.
Rick, drop out now. Your efforts to this point are admirable and will serve you well in 4 or 8 years, the worse that can happen is you stay a regular on Greta. If you decide to duke it out and give Obama any more fodder and Pennsylvania turns ugly and we find out you are getting Tricky with the Texas delegate count, then your Opus Dei history will be posted on every newspaper in the state and country.
Vote Romney
His focus should be on other families who have problems like his own child --- FAMILY was once a strong conservative principle
He would be campaigning for Obama -- Instead as you saw,, he campaigned against his own daughter & against parents with like problems
backfire,,,, You say "Vote for Romney"? ---- That amigo is a total capitulation (Surrender) of every conservative principle they've been screaming about for over 4 years
But, go ahead... Republicans are losing swing states --- They are a party without ideas & a party without a conscious
"No health insurance? Too bad, go die",, Romney says to American Families
People around the globe even in the remote regions of Australia's outback are laughing at Romney & republicans
Let's look at some akward facts:
1. Prenatal diagnosis would mean most parents would have aborted her
2. She looks like she is living a miserable life
3. Her parent's have health insurance thus not concerned about excessive bills, rest of us are paying for the choices they made
4. Prayer's did not seem to help
5. How awful when some parent's know that their kids will never get the same level of care, if any.
6. MSNBC.com comment section needs lot of work
"Compassionate Conservatives & Fiscal Conservatives" need a lot of help --- They won't get it from Romney
1. Who are YOU (or any of us) to decide whether an innocent child should have the chance to live or die?
2. How the h*ll do you know if she's living a miserable life? From a couple of perfectly chosen pictures on a Liberal website?
3. Don't even go there about paying for choices other people make because I'm pretty d*mn sure with the new health care laws I will be paying for the abortions of many irresponsible mothers who simply don't want to take responsibility for their actions!
4. How can you say prayers didn't help? She is still alive well beyond her estimated life span.
5. Don't play the "kids will never get the same level of care, if any" card- they passed a law quite a few years ago that ensures that EVERY child will have health insurance. The same level of care is probably debatable, I will give you that one.
6. MSNBC.com needs a lot of work PERIOD!
I'm so tired of hearing anything about Santorum. He's such a hateful person that it's karma taking over his children.
So much for "Judge not that you be not judged." I guess that only applies when someone is judging you.
Santorum's daughter is paying the price for his lies, while he wastes tax payers dollars keeping his terminally ill daughter alive by every means necessary, even though he knows it is futile. It's Gods revenge on you, Rickie, deal with it.
He is feeding his vanity at our expense.
Typical Repuke.
Bob - wow really? Let he who has no sin cast the first stone. With your line of thinking I would watch my back if I were you. With God being in the revenge business it looks like you are next in line for his revenge for spewing your hate! I am pretty sure that if there ever comes a time when you have to face this same battle with a loved one you would be singing a different tune. I pray you never have to be in that position.
I can't stand how he has conducted his campaign but I wish the baby to get well soon.
I want the best for his daughter, but Santorum is nothin but a dirtbag f'n loser in my book.
My differences with Santorum aside, my prayers go out to this child...
Wow- such hateful people on this comment page! It never ceases to amaze me that Democrats claim to care more about everyone's well-being and health than the Republicans until it someone that does NOT agree with them! If this was a disabled child of a Democrat candidate it would be all hands off, no media or comment pages at all- or it would be "poor, poor Mr ___— with the sick daughter" and "what a great man to take time off to be with his child", but when it is a Conservative it is completelt different. There are many posts on here about how he should have aborted the child, how he is selfish because he is still campaigning and he should be home with his daughter, how this is karma for his beliefs, etc! Just STOP the hatred already.
Mommy - These comments of hate are mere child's play when compared to comments on any of the FOX websites. I know it doesn't make it right but don't throw stones.
I pray and wish the best for Bella ..BUT it confuses me why he doesn't understand problems other families with children and disabilities face with insurance companies and life issues. But ...maybe he doesn't mingle with them in hospitals. I suggest he does because they can give him hope, pray with him and his family and help him understand that all parents love their children equally ...and why health care reform is important for ALL families. ...(even those who work) God Bless Bella and all the children and families with medical issues ...(I have a few myself).
God Bless this beautiful child. As we ask the lord for her quick and speedy recovery, not as republicans or Dems but as human beings. Please leave the politics out of it and just pray for her recovery. I know I will.
Don't care for the man or his politics but as a Dad, I feel his pain.
Time to go home and take care of what's really important in this life?
Best wishes to Bella and the whole family.
First, to pray is a waste of time. Last time I did it I realize I was talking to myself. If her daughter has Trisomy 18 is tricky Rick's fault. This can be diagnose in utero. Once again ignorance wins and a poor child has to suffer because of this and the system has to pay. What is to expect from such an ignorant man? (the second best the Republicans have to offer ?)
Andrew - praying to yourself would be a collosal waste of time. But praying to God- who is the author of everything is never a waste of time. For you to say that the disease is Rick's fault is completely false and ignorant. He didn't cause the disease. Maybe you are suggesting that they should have aborted Bella - but that isn't your right to choose for them. They chose LIFE - it's their right to do so. And - why is it any different for the system to pay for her LIFE than it is for the system to pay for DEATH/ABORTIONS? The amount of money the system spends for handing out condoms (which don't do anything except promote promiscuity and more abortions) and abortions is a staggering amount. That money could surely be spent on something better. The Santorums daughter has some health issues to deal with but she also receives a lot of love and care from her family. There shouldn't be anything wrong with that.
Shoot that sea otter out of a cannon!
For all of you who keep saying that there are LOTS of sick children out there - not just Santorums - you are right. But stop whining about it. Santorum did not ask to have his families personal health matters all over the news. The uncaring, ever probing media did that. It's not his fault that Bella is getting this attention. Give the whining a rest and simply pray for Bella and anyone else you know of that needs it. That's all that really matters. Until the media stops their dispicable ways nothing will ever change.