WASHINGTON (PNN) - April 10, 2012 - Rick Santorum announced Tuesday that he is suspending his presidential campaign.

“We made a decision over the weekend that, while this presidential race for us is over and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting,” Santorum said at a campaign event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of the historic and pivotal battle in the War of Northern Aggression.

Santorum had been Romney’s top opponent, according to corporate controlled media. However, over the weekend his daughter, Bella, was hospitalized for the second time due to complications from a rare genetic disorder.

In announcing his decision, Santorum said Bella’s condition caused him to reconsider his campaign but that she “is a fighter and doing extraordinarily well”.

Santorum called Romney before his announcement Tuesday to inform him of his decision to drop out, according to a Romney campaign official.