Bella's Gift

By Mark RodgersFor 16 years I served as Senator Rick Santorum's top aide, but more importantly for the past (almost) 7 years I have been his miracle daughter Bella's godfather.  One of the most important tenets to me is that EVERY human life has equal value, every person has been made in God's image and each of us has a purpose and a destiny.  This is grounded in scripture (God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;, Genesis 1:27), enshrined in the Declaration of Independence (all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness), affirmed in the Universal declaration or Human Rights (All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood) and echoed across the Ideological spectrum, including from Bill Gates ("I believe that every human life is valuable.").This week Rick and Karen's book Bella's Gift was released, along with a beautiful video.  It is a transparent account of their journey as a family, and a sobering reminder that not everyone holds to these tenets.  But the book is an living apologetic for the inherent dignity of life, and a reminder of the unique contribution that each of us makes to those around us.Bella truly is a gift.  She may not be able to read or write, but she can still change the world for the better, and her life reminds us that each of us can as well.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK1rtArY9bI&feature=youtu.be