Bachmann Shocks S.C. Crowd: Reveals She Had a 'Devastating' Miscarriage

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann shocked a crowd during a campaign stop in South Carolina Wednesday when she revealed she once suffered a "devastating" miscarriage. It's an event, she said, that shaped her stance on abortion.

“After our second child was born, we became pregnant with a third baby,” she told the hundreds gathered at Winthrop University. “And it was an unexpected baby, but of course we were delighted to have this child. And the child was coming along, and we ended up losing that child. And it was devastating for both of us, as you can imagine if any of you have lost a child.”

“And at that moment we didn’t think of ourselves as overly career minded or overly materialistic,” she said. “When we lost that child, it changed us. And it changed us forever.”

According to her, the unfortunate incident affirmed her and her husband's pro-life views.

“So we made a commitment that no matter how many children were brought into our life, we’d receive them because we’re committed to life,” she said. “And we didn’t know at that time we’d be foster parents, and that one day we’d be parents of 28 children, but we are extremely grateful for that opportunity because you can get money wrong, but you can’t get life wrong. And I am committed to life.”

Politico reports the admission, which she delivered while retaining her composure, is a "first" in presidential politics and speaks to a quality that endears Bachmann to many: "authenticity."

As ABC notes, Bachmann was once a Democrat who volunteered on Jimmy Carter's campaign. Still, her camp says she's always been pro-life. And she made that stance clear on Thursday, not only through the touching story, but also through an unequivocal statement.

“This is an easy one,” she in regards to abortion. “I am 100% pro-life, from conception until natural death.”