First lady Melania Trump made an unexpected stop in Huntington Tuesday morning, visiting Lily’s Place, a non-profit drug treatment facility that helps infants born to addicted mothers. Trump met with recovering addicts and leaders from Lily’s Place to discuss the work that the organization is and has been doing.

Huntington community members came out to try to catch a glimpse of the first lady as she arrived. Huntington resident Steve Martin said he was very glad Melania Trump decided to come visit.

“For her to come to a small town like Huntington and show support for an organization that’s helping babies to the real world, I think it’s huge,” Martin said.

Marshall University students also said they believed the first lady’s visit to Huntington was an important event. SGA Financial Executive Kaitlyn McClure said she believes the visit showed the first lady’s values.

“I believe that her seeing the real life effects of the opioid crisis may shape how she and President Trump will look at ways to overcome this on growing issue,” McClure said.

This was the first lady’s first visit to West Virginia. Students said they believe this visit helped Trump realize the problems that face many people across the entire country, but that it may have come with consequences.

“Although, I believe that it may have put her into realization, I do not believe that the babies of Lily’s Place deserved to be exploited in that sense,” McClure said. “They aren’t the ones fighting the opioid crisis.”

Lily’s Place opened in Huntington in 2014 and has assisted with many babies born with Neo-Natal Abstinence Syndrome.

According to the organization’s website, “Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a group of problems that occurs in a newborn after being exposed to illegal and/or prescription drugs while in its mother’s womb.”

Kyra Biscarner can be contacted at [email protected].