CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum says having a seriously ill young daughter tips the scale in both directions as he decides whether to run for president.
Santorum canceled a trip to Iowa over the weekend because 2-year-old Isabella was sick, and after spending the last two days in New Hampshire, he's planning to head home a bit earlier than planned Tuesday.
He tells The Associated Press that his daughter — who was born with a disorder called trisomy 18 — is very fragile, which weighs on him as he explores a presidential bid. On the other hand, he says he feels a need to fight for children like his daughter.
Most babies born with the disorder die within a year, and Santorum says many are aborted before birth.