Upon hearing the news that his daughter would be born with heart problems, a U.S. Congressman made a heartwarming decision to give up his political career and dedicate more time to his family. The couple joyfully announced the birth of their ninth child: a baby girl born prematurely with Down syndrome but surrounded by love from her parents and siblings.
Sean Duffy, the former representative of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, announced on Aug. 26, 2019, his retirement from public life in the following month. It was then that he and his wife, TV personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, found out that their newborn would need to undergo heart surgery within months after birth, Associated Press reported.
In his retirement announcement posted on Facebook, Duffy stated, “Being away from home in Washington four days a week is challenging, and for that reason, I have always been open to signs from God when it comes to balancing my desire to serve both my family and my country.”
He added that while the decision to step down from office wasn’t one he took lightly, it was the right decision for his family, which he said is his “first love and responsibility.”
The former congressman and his then-pregnant wife discussed his retirement on “The View,“ where he further justified his decision to put family first. ”I have to balance what is right in service to my state and what is right in service to my family. There’s 435 members of congress, there’s only one Duffy dad,” he remarked.
On Oct. 1, Valentina Stella Maris Duffy was born one month before her due date. Campos-Duffy shared photos of the adorable baby on Facebook and further explained her condition. In the caption, the mother explained that the baby “was born with a heart defect (2 holes in the heart and valves that need to be fixed).”
According to Campos-Duffy, little Valentina will have to receive heart surgery in four months. She was also born with Down syndrome. “That extra chromosome certainly made her EXTRA cute. Life is wonderful!!” the touching post read.
She also said that the new arrival to the former congressman’s family was greeted with joy and love by the couple’s other children. “When we visit with her at the hospital, the kids fight over who can hold her—I don’t blame them! She’s the sweetest, most perfect angel we have ever seen,” explained Campos-Duffy in her heartwarming post.
Before entering politics, Duffy starred as a cast member for MTV’s “Road Rules.” It was there that he met his wife in 1998. And according to the Associated Press, he was a favorite to run for governor or possibly U.S. Senate.
The couple announced their 9th pregnancy on May 9, which also happens to be the same birth date as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Harry, and Megan Markle’s baby.
“Buckingham Palace isn’t the only one with big baby news ... we found out God isn’t done with our family yet,” Campos-Duffy wrote, per Today. “Baby #9 coming this fall! Don’t tell us we’re crazy. We prefer brave and full of hope for America’s future.”
