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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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I am praying for Bella's recovery.
Yes, it is sad about Bella and hopefully she recovers but I question the timing of this particular hospitalization. Santorum is looking for an escape route with dignity from the primary fracus that he has no possible way of winning. He needs to do it prior to Pennsylvania's primary as his defeat there would defeat future political dreams. Should hear of a news conferance in next couple of days where he is withdrawing from the circus because of Bella's illness even though he thinks he can still win.
Jim ... interesting theory. If I were him watching some of the polls coming out of Pennsylvania, I'd be looking for a way out too, with dignity.
However, unless the country loses its collective mind over the next 20 years or so, Santorum will NEVER see the White House, EVER.
I despise Santorum's positions on almost every issue....but using his daughter's tragic health condition as an opportunity to attack him is despicable. Shame on all of you.
All of our thoughts and prayers are with the Santorum Family. Bella hang in there little one. We are with ya Mr. Santorum we want you to be choice as you don't belong to a cult like that other person does. I won't mention the names of the other two as neither of them count at all. We Need you or Obama and not the cultist nor the old man that failed before in government jobs. I Feel you would be a great President and hope people wake up and realize that cults are bad and people in them don't live Christian lives. The older and past government failure the one with the white hair is no way needed and he is ruining our American way for sure. Happy Easter to the Santorum Family and Bella get better fast little one.
Wow, you can't make this stuff up. Intolerant, dogmatic, anti-science religious nuts are a hoot.
It seems to me that those you are referring to as religious nuts are being the most polite on this board, in fact it is ones like you who are anti religious who are going off the deep end with anger issues.
Despise Santorum, and the story about their stillborn child is disturbing and that alone proves he is not fit to be POTUS, but certainly hope his daughter Bella gets well soon.
Wow. I guess everyone who embalms their dead relatives and has a viewing in a funeral home is disturbing? I see nothing wrong with him taking the baby home and mourning privately with his own family. What disturbs me is the people who don't get it.
123 ... Santorum didn't bring the embalmed corpse of a child home is a casket. He brought it home immediately after a still-birth for the kids to "play" with and say goodbye. That's a little "off the beam" in my book, and for many others, I'm sure. This man is clearly not fit to be a father, let alone the president of the United States. This man clearly has issues ... home schools his kids (this issue is arguable, but I believe kids are better socialized in a public school interacting with other kids their own age), brings a dead baby home from the hospital, brings a severely mentally and physically handicapped child into the world. And his views are clearly 20th century values that were debated and resolved decades ago. This man really needs to fade away into obscurity.
Young Bella carries an enormous burden that is not fair and not right. Why children are born with such enormous burdens that they have not earned in this life is a mystery I hope to understand someday, probably only after I leave this life. Bella's grave condition is a burden on her family as well. I do not agree with most of what Rick says and stands for, but I am cutting him some slack on how he and his family chose to carry this difficult load. There is no happy ending to this tale.
Go home. You will never be president, you will not be Romney's vice-president, you are needed at home.
Prayers for the little girl and the folks in the apartment hit by the F-18 in Virginia. It's Good Friday and I was hoping for no negative news today. I hope for the best.
Since no one else is saying it, I guess I will: it was grossly irresponsible for the Santorums to not get proper prenatal testing while Bella was a fetus. It was selfish and disgusting that it was not aborted. Now, Bella must suffer for her entire life without any hope of ever improving. She only has a short, cancer and illness-stricken life to look forward to now. Rick saying that she's full of happiness... sure. It may look like happiness, but there's nothing behind the smile but a poor, suffering, innocent child and it's his fault.
It is not your decision to say whether someone aborts a child and should not be done because of your own personal feelings. That said, I am not for abortion. My granddaughter was suspected of having the same condition as this precious little girl and my daughter refused to abort her, she was born with a serious heart condition that is treated with surgery. I would never have known this beautiful little girl if her mom had done that and my daughter is so proud of her little one and teaches us all that with adversity comes courage. This from a little 2 1/2 year old who you would have gotten rid of.
and they did it more than once they knew the odds of having a child with heatlh problems I guess they just don't care about others suffering and only care about thier own carnal desires.
A little girl is seriously ill and to those of you who have the indency to turn this into political fodder, go to h...ll. I am no fan of Santorum, but this little girl is obviously very ill with very concerned and heartstricken parents trying to make sure she pulls through okay. My very best wishes for a quick recovery and much happiness to her.
DD. please, honey, reread the posts. No one is hateful to that beautiful child.
Just the father. And, they wouldn't be against the father, except for the fact that he is hateful to all Americans who cannot afford health care. He has his health care paid for by the taxpayers of American. So, yes, we have a right to talk hateful about a hateful person. He is hateful to other children who need help. We are all praying for Bella, I doubt very seriously if he ever prays for the care of other children.
And, DD. Bella cannot have a quick recovery, there is none for her. So, I suggest, that we pray that modern (science) hurry up with some kind of a cure for her and the others.
If half you people think you're sooo smart- you run for president!! This is a child! Hope Bella's ok :o(
Contrary to comments stemming from historical ingorance, Christianity is not at odds with science, in fact, science got it's modern boost from Christians who were interested in investigating and learning more about God's creation. Today, however, science is the new god of many. Thank you, Mr. Santorum, for choosing life and upholding the 'human rights' of your daughter. God be with your family.
Torch. You are thanking Santorum for choosing that his child have a hard, painful life. Shame on you.
Everyone's life is hard and painful from time to time and in varying degrees. No one is immune from suffering. Should we thereby take the lives of everyone, including our own?
I hope tax dollars are not going for her care, why should I pay for his daughter to have health care when he dosn't want regular American people to have goverment heath insurance.
poor thing just realized rick was her father
While I don't agree with the Santorum's decision to bring this child into the world knowing that her life would be nothing but pain and suffering, I would like to point out that no one in the government tried to discourage that CHOICE.
As to their health care and abiltiy to pay, Mr. Santorum said during the campaign that he only contributes 1% of his income to charity because he has a this disabled child who needs expensive care which he and his family must pay for out of pocket. Clearly something he is able to do because he earned over 1 million dollars last year. Not everyone would be in the same position to be able to pay for such care and those children would then be subjected to either no care, early death, additional pain and suffering or institutionalization. Not a pretty picture for any family.
Mr. Santorum's religious beliefs are protected by our freedoms, however he should recognize that again these are CHOICES Americans make and the government of the people and by the people should never try to minimize that CHOICE. His vision of an American theocracy should scare every American regardless of their personal beliefs.
For this precious baby who was never given a CHOICE and suffers with this horrible illness, may she find peace and freedom from pain. If not in this world in the next if there is one. No parent wants to see their child suffer and during this holiest of times for a catholic I hope she does well.
I hope his issurance drops him and his daughter.
Rick, this gives you a graceful exit. Take it. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and daughter.
May the Santorum family find peace and comfort during these challenging times. I hope Bella is not suffering and that she knows her family loves her.
Mass chemist - you are completely correct in stating that there is no happy ending to this tale. One can clearly question the wisdom of Mr. Santorum's choices here. I would also note that Mr. Santorum has on numerous occasions made a point of endorsing positions that would make his opinions on how to deal with these tragic situations a matter of law. Mr. Santorum would force others to adopt his positions and deny us the right to make our own decisions on life and death matters. While I have great sympathy and compassion for poor little Bella and the tragety of her condition I must temper that with my unbrideled contempt for her father's attempts to deny us the same rights he chooses to practice.
Whose healthcare plan is paying for this????
His "god" must be angry with his stupidity and now taking it out on his family. KARMA!!! KARMA!!! KARMA!!!!
Good thoughts and prayers going out to this poor little girl.
Best wishes for Bella. It does seem to me it is a time in her life that her parents both need to be there for her without the stress of campaigning. You cannot get back lost time with this precious child.
because most of us think rick is a complete horses a--s, does not mean we have ill will to his family. i
Santorum has been fighting hard to prevent his daughter, Trig Palin, and other children with pre-existing conditions from having health insurance. It seems that he has not learned compassion for others despite his personal situation. He respects dead babies more than living ones.