Vanessa Trump, 48, has revealed that crippling exhaustion was the first warning sign of her “very invasive” breast cancer diagnosis.
The former wife of Donald Trump Jr. Sat down with daughter Kai Trump, 18, and Dr. Nicole Saphier for a Breast Cancer Awareness Month interview posted Saturday, tracing her symptoms back six months before doctors found the disease. She recalled feeling “extremely tired” even during routine errands, noting that a simple Starbucks run would leave her drained.
Trump explained that fatigue is “hard to detect” in patients because it masquerades as “a normal mom symptom.” Her cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, was caused by environmental rather than genetic factors.
She underwent a lumpectomy to remove the tumor plus a small rim of healthy tissue, followed by three courses of radiation. Trump is now cancer-free after her latest MRI “results came back clear,” though she will face scans three to four times annually for the next five to 10 years.
On Sunday, Trump promoted the interview through an Instagram post reflecting on her “long and challenging” journey. She wrote in the caption how “incredibly grateful” she is for the “love and support” she received amid her health struggles.
“By sharing my story, I hope to encourage others to prioritize their health, schedule their screenings and understand the importance of early detection,” she told her followers.
“If sharing my experience encourages even one person to get checked, it’s worth it,” she continued.
The social media upload included two photos of Trump and Kai, the eldest of her five children with ex-husband Donald Trump Jr. Another image showed Trump smiling alongside boyfriend Tiger Woods and Kai in front of a bell and colorful “Congratulations” banner, apparently marking a treatment milestone.
Trump first went public with her diagnosis in May, revealing she had learned of the cancer one month prior. “While this isn’t news anyone expects, I’m working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan,” she wrote via Instagram at that time. “I am staying focused and hopeful while surrounded by the love and support of my family, my kids, and those closest to me.”
She noted then that she had already undergone a recent “procedure.”
By June, Trump described spending “four weeks recovering from surgery” and said she was “healing and moving forward” with phase two of her treatment. Kai said the following month that her mom was “doing good.”
Trump concluded her Sunday Instagram post with information on donating to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.