Rick Santorum, former Republican senator from Pennsylvania and Fox News contributor, celebrates his daughter’s second birthday with an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Isabella has Trisomy 18, and has survived despite the dire predictions of doctors and experts. Santorum says Bella’s life may not be long, but “she is worth every tear.” An excerpt:

Being the parent of a special child gives one exceptional insight into the negative perception of the disabled among many medical professionals, particularly when they see your child as having an intellectual disability. Sadly, we discovered that not only did we have to search for doctors who had experience with trisomy 18. We also had to search for those who saw Bella not as a fatal diagnosis, but as a wanted and loved daughter and sister, as well as a beautiful gift from God.

… Living with Bella has been a course in character and virtue. She makes us better. And it’s not just our family; she enriches every life she touches. In the end, isn’t that what every parent hopes for his or her child?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 11:20 am and is filed under commentary, prenatal diagnosis, quality of life, trisomy 18. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.