Politics Jared Kushner Quietly Battled Thyroid Cancer While in the White House: 'In the Hands of God' "I reminded myself that it was in the hands of God and the doctors," Jared Kushner writes in his upcoming book Breaking History: A White House Memoir about his thyroid cancer diagnosis By Glenn Garner Glenn Garner Instagram Twitter Glenn Garner is a Writer/Reporter who works heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. Since graduating from Northern Arizona University with a dual major in journalism and photography, he got his professional start at OUT Magazine, The Advocate and Teen Vogue, and he's since consistently kept his finger on the pulse of the LGBTQ community. His first book The Guncle Guide was released in 2020 and was featured on Katie Couric's list of 100 recommended books of the year. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 25, 2022 11:06PM EDT Share Tweet Pin Email Jared Kushner is opening up about his past health struggles. The former White House senior advisor, 41, reveals he was diagnosed with and treated for thyroid cancer during his time working for his father-in-law, former President Donald Trump, in his new book Breaking History: A White House Memoir, according to The New York Times. "On the morning that I traveled to Texas to attend the opening of a Louis Vuitton factory, White House physician Sean Conley pulled me into the medical cabin on Air Force One," Kushner writes. "'Your test results came back from Walter Reed,' he said. 'It looks like you have cancer. We need to schedule a surgery right away.'" He recalls telling Dr. Conley: "Please don't tell anyone — especially my wife or my father-in-law." Kushner notes, according to the Times, that the cancer was caught early, but required removing a "substantial part of my thyroid," which he was warned could cause long-term damage to his voice. Former President Donald Trump Mourns Ex-Wife Ivana Alongside Their Children at N.Y.C. Funeral Service Jared Kushner. Alex Brandon/AP/Shutterstock The Harvard alum kept his diagnosis a secret from everyone but his wife Ivanka Trump, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and two of Kushner's aides, scheduling the procedure for a week before Thanksgiving. "That way, I would miss the least amount of time in the office. My absence might even go unnoticed. That's how I wanted it," he explains. Mark Wilson/Getty He writes that he kept himself distracted with work so "not to think about the upcoming surgery or the unwanted growth in my body." "When I did think about it, I reminded myself that it was in the hands of God and the doctors, and that whatever happened was out of my control," Kushner adds. "At moments, I caught myself wondering whether I would need extensive treatment." RELATED VIDEO: Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner Testify At Jan. 6 Hearings Kushner recalls his father-in-law, 76, calling him into the Oval Office the day before his surgery and asking if he was nervous about the procedure, even though Kushner never told the former president about his diagnosis. "I'm the President," Kushner recalls Donald telling him. "I know everything. I understand that you want to keep these things quiet. I like to keep things like this to myself as well. You'll be just fine. Don't worry about anything with work. We have everything covered here." Kushner inked a book deal last June with Broadside Books, a conservative imprint of HarperCollins, to write about his father-in-law's presidency. Since leaving the West Wing, Kushner and Ivanka, 40, have relocated to Miami, where Kushner launched his investment firm Affinity Partners last year. Breaking History: A White House Memoir is available Aug. 9.