Mr Santorum,
Consider this a statement from a concerned citizen regarding your presidential bid. While I’ve already written that I don’t feel you would be electable, let alone a good candidate for the Republican party, recent news regarding your daughter gives me reason to believe that you should not be in politics at all right now.
Your daughter’s plight has brought Trisomy 18, also called Edwards syndrome, to the forefront of discussions both in politics and medicine. This is certainly a good thing. The more publicity a particular disease or disorder receives, the more money research with regard to those respective diseases and disorders will bring. I cannot possibly underestimate the importance of that, especially with genetics being a major part of research in medicine right now.
The prognosis for your daughter is not good. You know this. Anyone who glances at even a passive article regarding Edwards syndrome will know this.
I hate to word it in this fashion, but I can think of no better: until your daughter passes away, she will be little more than a distraction to your political aspirations.
Since you have started your political campaign for President, your daughter has been admitted to the hospital several times. And each time you have been there. You are certainly a caring father, but your family comes first. Your daughter comes first.
Let me repeat this: your daughter comes first.
This means that you should not be rushing back out onto the campaign trail when your daughter is released from the hospital, like you have these past few times. You should be returning home to be by her side, and not for just a little while until you feel you can get away again and keep campaigning.
You might feel the country needs you, but your daughter, Bella, needs you more in words she likely cannot say.
And if you are hoping stories of your daughter will help your campaign, you are despicable in ways words cannot describe.
Mr Santorum, the time has come to withdraw from the presidential campaign. Not only do you stand little chance of catching up, let alone overtaking Mitt Romney in the delegate count, your daughter needs you more. You cannot be an effective President with your daughter’s illness hanging over your head. Again, you may feel this country needs you, but your daughter needs you more.
Leave the campaign trail and be with your family and your daughter. If you feel the desire, start a foundation for Trisomy 18 research. But national politics with a daughter in the condition Bella has presented is not a good combination, not for you, not for this country, and most certainly not for your daughter.
Sincerely,
A concerned citizen from the Kansas City metropolitan area
