MELANIA: “The first lady’s office has declined to offer further details about Melania Trump’s kidney surgery and resulting extended hospital stay and asked for privacy…The notoriously private first lady underwent the procedure Monday [5-14-18] with no leaks beforehand from her small, close-knit East Wing staff…Melania Trump, who turned 48 last month, had been experiencing an issue with her kidney that her office described as benign but requiring medical attention. She is the first US first lady to undergo such a serious medical procedure while in the White House since Nancy Reagan had a mastectomy in October 1987. Rosalynn Carter underwent surgery to remove a benign lump from her breast in April 1977. Weeks after Betty Ford became first lady, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy in September 1974.”
-Kate Bennett and Betsy Klein, “Melania Trump’s office asks for privacy after procedure,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, May 15, 2018 11:20 am