Fox host Rachel Campos-Duffy says her Down Syndrome daughter teaches her eight other kids patience as she urges mothers not to abort babies diagnosed with the condition
Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy says her youngest daughter who has Down Syndrome teaches her eight other kids patience.
The 52-year-old appeared on Fox & Friends with four-year-old Valentina StellaMaris Duffy to raise awareness on National Down Syndrome day.
‘So many of children with Downs are being exterminated in the womb and I think that when people get to meet them and see how wonderful they are we are going to see less of that,’ Campos-Duffy told the show.
Valentina was seen playing with Ainsley Earhardt and showing off the pilates skills she learnt in physical therapy.
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Campos-Duffy shares eight other children with her husband former congressman Sean Duffy and she said her family is better off because of Valentina.
Rachel Campos-Duffy appeared on Fox & Friends with four-year-old Valentina StellaMaris Duffy to raise awareness on National Down Syndrome day
Valentina was seen playing with Ainsley Earhardt and showing off the pilates skills she learnt in physical therapy.
Campos-Duffy shares eight other children with her husband former congressman Sean Duffy and she said her family is better off because of Valentina
Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Campos-Duffy and her daughter were introduced to show where Valentina waved and said ‘hi’.
‘I think it’s really important to raise awareness because actually, a lot of women get this diagnoses, a lot of them, and they will get fearful,’ Campos-Duffy said.
‘There’s a lot of fear around it. Even the medical community can make people scared and say, well, you have options.
‘I think when people realize that they are just like any other child, they have a few little challenges, sometimes medical.
‘Some them are prone to heart conditions, maybe some thyroid stuff. But all of that is very treatable.’
She praised Valentina and said she has helped her family become more tolerant and patient.
‘She is as lovely, as precious, as joyful, as any other child,’ Campos-Duffy said.
‘In fact, I would say our family is better because of her. I think our kids have learned tolerance and patience. They’ve learned to be helpful.
Valentina then showed off her pilates skills to Earhardt and began playing around the studio.
Campos-Duffy added that the young girl was everyone’s favorite in the family.
Valentina was born in October 2019 with two holes in her heart and needed surgery to fix it
Duffy and Campos met on The Real World in 1998, before he launched his political career
Duffy was serving in Wisconsin’s 7th District but he gave up his position in 2019
Valentina was born in October 2019 with two holes in her heart and needed surgery to fix it.
She was premature and needed to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit until she learnt to eat on her own.
Her mother announced her birth in a heartwarming post on Facebook at the time.
She wrote: ‘Meet Valentina StellaMaris Duffy. She is the sweetest, most perfect thing we have ever seen. It’s a wonderful life!
‘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.’
Before her birth, her father announced he was resigning from his seat in Wisconsin in order to spend more time with his family.
The couple both appeared on MTV’s The Real World and married in 1999. Sean had a busy TV career before launching himself into politics.
He was serving as the Wisconsin’s 7th district representative until September, when the pair learned ahead of Valentina’s birth that she would be born with a hole in her heart. It prompted his resignation.
‘Recently, we’ve learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition.
‘With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now. It is not an easy decision – because I truly love being your Congressman – but it is the right decision for my family, which is my first love and responsibility,’ he said.
He was supported by President Trump – whose 2016 presidential campaign he enthusiastically backed – and a handful of other Republicans.
Duffy met his future wife on the set of MTV’s ‘Road Rules: All Stars’ in 1999.
The two had appeared separately on Real World programs for the music network. Duffy was on The Real World: Boston and Campos-Duffy was on The Real World: San Francisco.
