Santorum Features Miracle Daughter Bella in New Campaign Ad

Politics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 28, 2011   |   1:10PM   |   Washington, DC

Former Senator Rick Santorum released a web video today focusing on the heart and soul of the Santorum family – his 3-year-old daughter Bella, a special-needs child like so many who are targeted in abortions.

“During the last debate I mentioned how I was looking forward to taking the red-eye home to see my three year old daughter Bella, who had surgery earlier that day,” the Republican presidential candidate said. “Following that debate, Karen and I got numerous emails and calls from supporters asking how she was doing.  We were so touched by the tremendous outpouring of support, the thoughts and the prayers we received for our sweet Bella.”

“She is doing great and back to her joyful, smiley self.  But since so many people were concerned, we wanted to share a little bit more about Bella and the great blessing she is for our entire family,” he said. “We hope you’ll enjoy this video.”

CBN News reporter David Brody commented on the new ad:  “There are not many political candidates who can feature a family member like this and not get accused of using a situation like this for political gain. But that’s just not the case here. I’ve interviewed Rick Santorum a number of times and went to their home to interview both him and his wife Karen. Family is number one in their lives. Period end.”

“No disrespect to the other “family values” candidates because there are plenty in the race but you can easily make the argument that it is Santorum who has positioned himself as the pro-family values candidate because at every turn he’s been bringing the conversation back to the family. Check the debate transcripts. The proof is there,” he added.

Santorum recently talked about Bella in a speech at a Pennsylvania pro-life event. Santorum recalled the crisis of faith he experienced when his wife Karen went to get an ultrasound of their unborn baby Gabriel.

The doctor told the couple, “Your son has a fatal defect and is going to die.” But Gabriel was born alive. As Santorum recalls, “For two hours he lived a life that knew only love.”

The couple’s heartbreaking experience with infant loss became the subject of Karen’s book, Letters to Gabriel,  which has helped countless mothers deal with the deaths of their newborn babies.

Santorum faced another crisis when his daughter, Bella, was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a chromosomal condition which results in stillbirth 50 percent of the time. At first, Santorum was emotionally detached from his disabled daughter but, when she faced her own battle for life, he suddenly realized, “This child…can do nothing but love me.”

Santorum observed, “That’s me with the (Heavenly) Father—I am so profoundly disabled in His eyes.”

Against all odds, little Bella recently celebrated her 182nd week of life. According to Santorum, the one-year survival rate for Trisomy 18 is 1 percent.

As Santorum told the Pennsylvania crowd of 500 pro-lifers, “These children have so much to teach us.”