Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum's daughter Bella, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 18, was hospitalized over the weekend.
Santorum left the presidential campaign trail in Florida to be with his three-year-old daughter Bella, the youngest of the former U.S. Senator's seven children.
Bella was admitted to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Saturday but has since made a "miraculous turnaround," according to sources close to the candidate.
Rick Santorum’s 20-year-old daughter, Liz, appeared on his behalf in Sarasota, Fla., giving a brief speech to a crowd of about 250 at an airplane hangar.
"My dad wishes he could be here today," she said, according to The Palm Beach Post. "My dad today is exercising his most important role; being a dad."
Santorum also received some help from supporters Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting, who spoke at campaign events on his behalf.
The Florida primary is tomorrow.
Rick, who is lagging in polls behind Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, "intends to return to Florida and resume the campaign schedule as soon as possible."
Santorum often has spoken about how he never expected Bella to live to her first birthday, which would not be a stretch for a child born with Trisomy 18.
Trisomy 18 is a genetic disorder that kills about 90 percent of children before or during birth and those that do live past birth suffer serious symptoms.
Children with Trisomy 18 have an extra copy of chromosome 18, which causes symptoms like clenched hands, low birth weight and mental deficiency.
Here's wishing Bella, Rick, his wife Karen and all their children all the best in what has to be a tremendously difficult time for the Santorum family.
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