Bella Santorum, the daughter of Rick Santorum, has turned four years old! Bella has a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18. Many children who are born with this disorder do not live long enough to see their first birthday. Bella, however, has beaten the odds once again.
Trisomy 18 is a genetic disorder in which a person is born with a third copy of genetic material from chromosome number 18. Usually, people will have two copies of that portion of the chromosome, not three. The word “trisomy” refers to the three copies.
This extra genetic material on chromosome 18 interferes with normal development. The National Institute of Health estimates that half of all infants born with Trisomy 18 do not survive past their first week of life. About 50% of infants with Trisomy 18 die within the first three months of their lives, and 90% will die within their first year of life.
Symptoms of Trisomy 18 include many serious health issues. It can cause congenital heart disease, (which can lead to congestive heart failure). It makes the child’s lungs especially susceptible to catching pneumonia. Bella made headlines when she developed pneumonia during her father’s campaign and he temporary left the campaign trail to go and care for her at the hospital. Other symptoms of Trisomy 18 include severe cognitive impairments, physical malformations of the hands, feet, ears, and head, and kidney problems.
Considering all of this, it is clear that is a very big deal that Bella has reached her fourth birthday. A website called “Happy Birthday, Bella!” has been created. You can go there to learn more about Bella. You can also leave her a birthday message. If you prefer, there is the option of leaving Bella a birthday message in video format.
Bella’s father, Rick Santorum, has a Twitter account. Before Bella’s birthday, he posted this tweet:
“Our daughter Bella’s 4th bday is on Sun. Celebrate w/us! Tweet a bday wish w/#happybirthdaybella or send a wish”.
He also linked to the website about Bella’s birthday. It is both exciting and inspiring that Bella has now turned four years old. That is a great achievement for a child who has Trisomy 18. She has beaten the odds once again! It is wonderful that so many people can send a birthday wish to Bella, even now, after her birthday has passed by, thanks to the technology that connects us all through the internet.
Image by Sugar Daze on Flickr