Santorum cancels morning events to be with child

[The Straight Story]

Santorum cancels morning events to be with child

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is canceling his Sunday morning campaign events and is spending time with his hospitalized daughter.

Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley said Saturday night that the former Pennsylvania senator and his wife, Karen, were with 3-year-old Bella at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Gidley says Santorum plans to return to campaigning in Florida as soon as possible.

Bella Santorum has Trisomy 18, a genetic condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 18th chromosome. Bella was not expected to survive until her first birthday and her health worries have canceled previous Santorum campaign events.

Santorum had scheduled to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" and attend church in Miami.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46178085

[mrs_p]

1. Hope she gets well

No child should ever have to suffer.

[MADem]

14. She likely will not ever get well.

It's pretty much a terminal condition. The only question is how long she'll survive. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002626/

Expectations (prognosis)

Half of infants with this condition do not survive beyond the first week of life. Some children have survived to the teenage years, but with serious medical and developmental problems.

Complications

Complications depend on the specific defects and symptoms.

Calling your health care provider

Genetic counseling can help families understand the condition, the risks of inheriting it, and how to care for the patient.

Prevention

Tests can be done during pregnancy to determine if the child has this syndrome.

Genetic testing is recommended for parents who have a child with this syndrome who want additional children.

[mrs_p]

17. So sad. I guess, I meant

well enough to leave the hospital to be with her family. I can't imagine losing a child.

[Loudly]

20. If it is detected during pregnancy, and the parents wanted to terminate the pregnancy

would Santorum deny them that choice?

[MADem]

21. Yes. He would. He's on the "Take all the children god gives you" train, even if there's a genetic

predisposition. He wouldn't even go for the in vitro business to screen that stuff out.

That's if he were making the rules, of course. Good thing he ain't.

[mucifer]

2. Trisomy 18 is very horrible.

That's what their other baby died from.

[Cooley Hurd]

3. Here's hoping for the best. Poor kid & poor parents...

[Richardo]

4. Hope she gets better soon.

[Ilsa]

5. I wonder if he realizes that poorer parents

of Trisomy 18 children may not have the luxury of staying home from work to be with their sick kid. He's fortunate that he can cancel like that.

I keep thinking that as the parent of a disabled child he might develop more compassion towards those in trouble that don't have his financial resources, but I havent seen that compassion yet.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. "I've got mine, fuck everyone else"

The mantra of the Republican party.

[Motown_Johnny]

8. and that they may not even be able to afford health care

not to mention the fact that this would be seen as a pre-existing condition

[southernyankeebelle]

9. I think he shouldn't be running at all. God only knows how much time the child will be with them.

High office isn't worth putting his family through that mess. He doesn't have a chance anyway. God put his arms around that little angel. I pray for him and his family. I truly don't wish any harm to them. It is sad that he doesn't have empthy for others needs.

[MarianJack]

7. I can only wish this young lady well.

The health of an innocent and helpless child trumps the fact that I've detested her father for almost 20 years.

PEACE!

[vanlassie]

10. WTF? He is running for President with something like this going on in his family???

This is exactly as bad as Sarah running after just having given birth to a baby. For god's sakes.

[rocktivity]

22. And it just so happens that Down's Syndrome

Last edited Sun Jan 29, 2012, 02:24 AM - Edit history (1)

is also known as Trisomy 21.


rocktivity

[jwirr]

31. Are you sure. Life expectancy for Downs is much higher.

[rocktivity]

32. That is correct -- I didn't mean to suggest otherwise

Last edited Wed Sep 23, 2015, 12:49 PM - Edit history (7)

just to point out that Bella and Trig each have a form of trisomy.

Humans have 23 pairs of genes, one from each parent. If an extra gene turns up, trisomy occurs. If there are three instead a pair the 18th set of genes, you get what Bella has (Trisomy 18 or Edward's Syndrome). Three instead of the 21st pair results in Down's Syndrome.

Three instead of a pair of the 13th genes causes Patau's Syndrome (one-eyed babies are not unusual, but they live only a few hours). The majority of spontaneous miscarriages are caused by Trisomy 16. The severity of the birth defects and the life expectancy depends on which genes are affected.


rocktivity

[jwirr]

33. Okay, thank you.

[aaaaaa5a]

11. I with Santorum and his family by best wishes. NT

[msanthrope]

12. This isn't looking good. I think the situation

is very grave.

CHOP is the best children's hospital in the country. They will do their best for her. I wish the Santorum's the best--no one deserves the pain of an ill child.

[rocktivity]

23. Meanwhile, elsewhere at CHOP

Parents say disabled NJ girl was denied transplant
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101428454


rocktivity

[jwirr]

29. I also wonder how anyone can have a child that sick and not understand the need for universal

health care. I wondered the same about Sarah Palin. My daughter would not be alive if it were not for Medicaid/Medicare.

[gopiscrap]

36. Well said

I came from Germany and was in the hospital from 6months to 12 months because I had encephalitis my parents bill came to about 12.00

[powergirl]

13. Very sad for the family

I wish them only the best in her recovery.

[denverbill]

16. As an agnostic and liberal, I disagree with damn near everything he wants to do.

But I wish him and his family the best in this situation.

[qanda]

18. My prayers are for Bella and her family

Having a sick child is something that can gnaw at your soul.

[renate]

19. I respect him and his family for not making his daughter's condition part of his campaign

I also (it hurts to say this) respected Sarah Palin's decision to walk the walk and have Trig (is that the right one? The littlest one with Down syndrome), even though she admitted considering having an abortion. And I can see why she'd hold her choice up as proof of her bona fides. But I do admire the way that this is the first we've heard of Bella--he could have made a big point of "pro-choice people would have supported the right to abort this precious child because she's not perfect," but he didn't use his child in that manner--in fact he seems to have protected her from becoming a campaign issue. I myself am pro-choice but I totally respect the views of those who aren't, as long as they aren't opinions of convenience but are sincerely held. I disagree with him on just about everything but he seems to be a good dad.

I join everyone else here in sending good wishes for Bella.

[Tx4obama]

24. This is not the first time we've heard of Bella and her condition.

Santorum has mentioned Bella and her condition several times in TV interviews and at several of the GOP debates.

[JI7]

26. Santorum often mentions his daughter when talking about taking away women's rights

[JI7]

25. as much as i don't like Santorum and make fun of him, i really don't want him to go through losing

another child. i hope the child survives .

but Santorum is like 53 and the child is 3 and his wife appears to be about the same age as him . if they want more kids i wonder why they don't just adopt. giving birth at this age will mean more chance of a baby with health problems.

[Justice wanted]

27. I hope she is doing well. It was the right thing to do and in this one case I will give

Santorum props for it.

[jwirr]

28. In this I am with him. Hope his little girl gets well.

[xfundy]

30. All these replies and not ONE wishing Frothy or his family ill.

Lurking Freakreptilians, This is what's called a "teachable moment."

As for myself, the only "ill" I wish Frothy is in the election. Unlike him, I can live my life without wanting to force others to conform to my way or the highway.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

34. From wikipedia (so possibly not reliable, but FWIW)

In England and Wales, there were 495 diagnoses of Edwards' syndrome (trisomy 18) in 2008/2009, of which 92% were made prenatally. There were 339 terminations, 49 stillbirths/miscarriages/fetal deaths, 72 unknown outcomes, and 35 live births.[9] Because approximately 3% of cases of Edwards' syndrome with unknown outcomes are likely to result in a live birth, the total number of live births is estimated to be 37 (2008/09 data are provisional). Major causes of death include apnea and heart abnormalities. It is impossible to predict the exact prognosis of a child with Edwards syndrome during pregnancy or the neonatal period.[7] Half of infants with this condition do not survive beyond the first week of life. [10] The median lifespan is 5–15 days.[11][12] About 8% of infants born with this syndrome survive longer than 1 year,[13] 1% of children live to age 10, typically in less severe cases of the mosaic Edwards syndrome.[7] The small percentage of babies with the full Edwards syndrome who survive birth and early infancy may live to adulthood, and children with mosaic or partial forms of this trisomy may have a completely different and much more hopeful prognosis.[14]
[edit]

So the odds aren't good, but that she's made it to 3 is a good sign.

[gopiscrap]

35. Mister frothy fecal matter makes me want to puke

but prayers r him his wife and specially the child...that's gotta be agonizing...he needs to get out of the race on focus on what's important!

[Liberal_in_LA]

37. If he were a woman, the public would frown on him running for president

I wish his family the best...just pointing out the double standard

[Joe Shlabotnik]

38. I'm all for bashing this douche bag on his record,

but when it comes to his daughter: no way. Good on him for doing what any (most) loving fathers would do. I hope for the best for his daughter and his family.

[The Genealogist]

39. I have compassion for his child, and for him and his family as they deal with this

I'm an atheist, I don't offer up prayers, but I still feel for him.

I just hope that, someday, coping with having a child like Bella will bring him compassion for the at-large sick, poor, homeless and others suffering every day.

[lunasun]

40. bring him compassion for the at-large sick, poor, homeless and others suffering every day you say

Which we could afford to take care of and more if we didnt keep going to wars he seems to like so much that he wants to start 2 more too.

Regardless , thoughts go out to hin and family for the best outcome and he did the right thing to go to her side now.

[WilliamPitt]

41. Damn.

to the Santorum family.

[book_worm]

42. well, good for him

[Ken Burch]

43. Holy shit...what a horrible thing for the guy

I have no use for the man's politics...but you put that aside when somebody's kid is sick and probably dying. That's a universal thing.

And, before it comes to that, I really hope that, if the worst happens here, that nobody on DU will make an issue of how Santorum and his family deal with their grief, like a few twisted jerks did with the miscarriage thing. Grief is personal...it's private...and nobody has the right to judge how anybody processes it.

[AnOhioan]

44. As much as I despise Santorum the politician, I empathize with Santorum the father.