Santorum got to his home in Virginia around midnight Friday for a quick break to do his taxes, but found his daughter “was not doing well.”
“I was up with her a lot of the night,” he said. “By the end of the day, it was really, really clear she was struggling.”
Saturday evening, Santorum aides announced Bella had been admitted to the hospital and they canceled his morning interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” and church services in Miami. His aides later canceled his trip to Florida and instead sent his 20-year-old daughter to campaign for him.
That’s right: Santorum just happened to be at home with his sick daughter because he was doing his taxes. This is slightly funny, because he said during a recent debate that he couldn’t offer up his tax numbers because he left them at home. So, he wasn’t kidding about that. This is just a slight bit of levity out of a rough situation. We’re glad Bella’s condition has improved enough that he can head back out again.
“You think she’s fine, and then one cold and she’s this close to dying.” Days ahead of the important Florida primary, Rick Santorum found himself having to make an unexpected detour Saturday, as his 3-year-old daughter Bella, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called Trisomy 18, was admitted to the hospital. Bella has already beaten the odds in many ways — many children with the condition don’t survive their first week, let alone their first year. The presidential candidate, who is running behind Gingrich and Romney, is relying on surrogates to keep things going while he’s gone, but it’s not the first time Bella’s health has forced the cancellation of Santorum’s campaign events. A tough situation for Santorum to deal with, especially as the contests turn into real primaries with real stakes. (photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr) source
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