Bella's Gift by Rick & Karen Santorum

Growing up in Pennsylvania I've been familiar with the Santorum name but not really ever paying too much attention to the news I was unaware of everything that their name embodied. I knew that Rick Santorum was a good man with a good family, but after reading this book I know so much more. 
This is not only a good family, but a Godly family. Bella's Gift is the beautifully written story of the Santorum's eighth child. Born with Trisomy 18 (T-18) and given no hope at all from the doctors, Bella was put into this family who God knew would fight for her and with her. 
At times it had me angered, other times laughing, but most of all in tears. The story is inspiring and this book isn't just a story of a little girl who is beating the odds, it's also the story of a marriage that is thriving in the midst of it all.
I highly recommend this book. 

About the book:

On May 13, 2008, the Santorum family welcomed their seventh child into the world. Isabella Maria was born with a rare genetic condition called Trisomy 18, or Edward’s Syndrome. Only 10 percent of children with Trisomy 18 are born alive, and 90 percent of those children do not make it to their first birthday. Faced with these bleak statistics, doctors told the family to prepare for Bella’s death. Instead, they chose to celebrate her life.

Over the next five miraculous years, the Santorum family adjusted to life with a special needs girl—and watched her transform the lives of everyone around her. In many days of sickness and joy, she became an inspiration to her community and, ultimately, to the nation. Bella’s Gift details the peaks and valleys, the joys and sufferings, and the incredible value of life with a special needs child. In a world that often measures worth according to usefulness, Bella’s story is a reminder that our real value lies in our capacity to love.

This book was provided for review by BookLook