First Lady Melania Trump paid a visit to children suffering from rare and serious illnesses at The Children’s Inn located at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Valentine’s Day, sharing a tender, sweet moment with some of the young ladies attending the event. Melania spent time with the kids, their families, and members of the staff, making Valentine’s Day cards, connecting with the children, and encouraging them in their battle with various health issues.
“Love reveals itself in many forms, especially in the hardest moments of care and compassion,” the first lady said during the event. “The Children’s Inn provides important support to children who have been diagnosed with rare and serious diseases.”
Continuing, Melania said, “Returning to The Children’s Inn at NIH is a special reminder of warmth that exists here year-round thanks to the profound resilience of these young people and the dedication of those working to provide comfort, hope, and support during clinical trials. I wish them all a very happy Valentine’s Day.”
Jennie Lucca, Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Inn, spoke highly of Melania and what it means to her, the staff, and the kids for her to participate in an afternoon of crafts. “We were deeply honored to welcome First Lady Melania Trump back to The Children’s Inn,” Lucca went on to say. “Her visit brought joy and comfort to our children and families at a time when compassion and encouragement mean so much.”
This Valentine’s Day celebration served as a heartfelt reminder that our families are surrounded by care, support, and hope throughout their medical journey,” she added. During the craft activities, the first lady encouraged the kids to be open and feel free to come and talk to her, telling them, “Don’t be so quiet. It’s a day of celebration!”
The children at the facility are currently receiving care through clinical trials. Being at the hospital can be a scary, lonely time for kids and their parents too, which prompted Melania to take time to express her appreciation for all of the tenderness, compassion, and dedication the children are receiving from those involved in their care, a White House statement said.
For those unfamiliar with The Children’s Inn, the organization is a nonprofit and provides kids and their families with a free residential “place like home” to help ease the strenuous burden of dealing with a serious illness. It also strives to make strides toward advances in medical research that helps kids, teens, and young adults participate in cutting-edge clinical trials that have the potential to change lives, thanks to the NIH Clinical Center, which is the country’s premier biomedical research hospital.
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And this isn’t the first time the first lady has visited the facility. She previously celebrated Valentine’s Day at the Children’s Inn during her husband’s first term in the White House in 2018, 2019, and 2020, creating a tradition that helps shine a spotlight on the resilience of these young warriors and their families, demonstrating how critical compassion is to the healing process, the statement continued.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video