Dale City, Va. — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum suspended his campaign over the weekend after his daughter reportedly had a brush with death.
Now improving, Santorum’s three-year-old suffers from a condition known as Trisomy 18 – a genetic disorder that can cause severe developmental problems in those children afflicted with the condition.
The Trisomy 18 Foundation, based in Dale City, is working hard to educate the public about the disease and to help save lives of afflicted children.
“Trisomy 18 was discovered about the same time Down syndrome was, and the two are very similar,” said Trisomy 18 Foundation President Victoria Miller. “As we’ve learned more about it, Trisomy 18 is something that is screened for in every woman who is undergoing prenatal care.”
As deadly as the condition can be, what’s even scarier is how common Trisomy 18 can be.
The disease, a chromosomal defect, affects about one in every 3,000 births, and is more common in girls than boys. It can lead to heart defects, delayed growth, clinches hands, rocker-bottom feet, and kidney problems.
Mortality rates with boys are often higher than girls, and 50 percent of babies with Trisomy 18 carried to term will be stillborn, according to the foundation.
Santorum’s daughter, Isabella Maria, suffered pneumonia over the weekend which prompted Santorum to cancel several campaign appearances, according to the Wall Street Journal.
