First lady charms young patients during NIH visit

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

Returning for her fourth visit to the National Institute for Health’s Children’s Inn, First Lady Melania Trump met with a group of patients and former patients to mark Valentine’s Day.

The visit goes hand in hand with her Be Best campaign, promoting child wellness. Trump spent time visiting with the young patients while creating Valentine’s crafts.

The first lady was asked an array of questions, including her favorite sport, taste in music and whether she is a queen, to the amusement of Melania Trump.

She previously visited the Children’s Inn in 2018, 2019 and 2020. During her visit on Wednesday, she was seated with a previous patient she had visited in a prior visit.

While Trump visited with patients and their families for nearly an hour, she didn’t make any formal remarks – keeping her conversations informal.

In a statement, she described the impact the Children’s Inn has on young patients and their families at the NIH, located in Bethesda, Md., just north of the nation’s capital.

“Love reveals itself in many forms, especially in the hardest moments of care and compassion,” said the first lady. “The Children’s Inn provides important support to children who have been diagnosed with rare and serious diseases. 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.”

The Inn operates as a nonprofit, providing “free residential ‘place like home’ to reduce the burden of illness, make childhood possible, and help advance medical research,” according to a release from the first lady’s office.