NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on first lady Melania Trump’s trip to Nashville, Tennessee (all times local):
5 p.m.
Melania Trump has joined in the children’s pastimes of blowing bubbles and playing with trains as she promoted her “Be Best” campaign at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
The first lady spent several hours Tuesday at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt getting an in-depth briefing from medical professionals on their program to treat babies born with drug dependency. The program keeps mothers and babies together to improve outcomes.
Mrs. Trump told doctors and other staff at the hospital that her passion “is to shine a light on the opioid crisis.”
It was Mrs. Trump’s first domestic trip to publicize “Be Best,” the initiative she launched in May to focus on child well-being, social media use and the opioid crisis.
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2:50 p.m.
Melania Trump is in Nashville, Tennessee, to promote her “Be Best” campaign to help children.
On Tuesday, she is visiting Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in her first domestic trip to highlight the initiative.
Mrs. Trump is participating in a discussion about babies who are born dependent on drugs and plans to visit privately with families who have infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Mrs. Trump brought with her fleece blankets with the White House seal that she purchased to give to the babies.
The issue taking her to Tennessee is neonatal abstinence syndrome, which occurs when a baby withdraws from drugs - usually an opioid painkiller - that he or she was exposed to in the womb.
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12:30 a.m.
Melania Trump is going on the road to promote her “Be Best” campaign to help children.
The first lady planned to promote the campaign Tuesday in Tennessee during a visit to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. It will be her first domestic trip to highlight the initiative. Mrs. Trump will participate in a discussion about babies born dependent on drugs, tour a neonatal intensive care unit and visit with patients.
The first lady unveiled “Be Best” at the White House in May, saying it will focus on children’s well-being, social media use and opioid abuse.
She was hospitalized soon after the announcement following surgery to treat a kidney condition and spent several weeks out of the public eye recuperating before resuming a public schedule.
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