BETHESDA, MARYLAND– BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Melania Trump On Wednesday, celebrate early Valentine’s Day With children and young people being treated for rare and serious diseases, join them in making holiday-themed crafts and chat about their lives, health and other interests.
After they finished making bouquets and lanterns out of construction paper and other materials, they headed to the festively decorated dessert bar stocked with mini cupcakes, mini jars of chocolate and other sweets.
The first lady then made a rather scathing confession days before a holiday made famous by heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolate.
“I don’t eat a lot of sweets,” she said. “Sugar is not healthy for us.”
This was her first visit in the second Trump administration to The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health, and her fourth as First Lady. She visited three times in the first semester.
One of the young men told the First Lady that he did not know how to address her, and wondered whether the phrase “Her Highness” was an option.
Her answer?
Melania said with a smile.
The Children’s Inn is a non-profit organization that provides support to children and young people receiving treatment through clinical trials for rare and serious diseases.
Under President Donald Trump, the National Institutes of Health has reduced Billions of dollars in Research projectsbypassing the usual scientific funding process. The cuts included clinical trials testing treatments for cancer, brain diseases and other health problems A recent report said it affected more than 74,000 people enrolled in trials.
Congress recently approved a $47 billion budget for the National Institutes of Health this year, giving it a small increase and rejecting the Trump administration’s call to cut the agency’s funding by nearly 40%.
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AP Medical Writer Lauren Neergaard contributed to this report.