Last week, Hoda Kotb made her return to the TODAY show after a brief absence and revealed that her youngest daughter, Hope, was dealing with some health issues that landed the 3-year-old in the Intensive care unit (ICU) for a few days and eventually the hospital for another week. Hope is now recovering.
During her recovery, Hope is receiving a lot of attention from family and friends – something that Hoda’s 6-year-old daughter, Haley, is having a hard time coping with as she vies for attention herself. Last week, Hoda opened up on the TODAY show about how she’s comforting her two daughters at the same time.
“We fall short. I was even thinking this too. You know, Hope hasn’t been feeling great, and all the attention is on Hope, and Haley wonders too. Like, ‘I’m here, see me. I need something, too. Carry me. Do what you’re doing for Hope,’” Hoda said in a segment with co-host Jenna Bush Hager – a mother of three.
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“It’s weird, but I feel like I got most of my resilience in life because of that. You didn’t expect to always be seen and heard,” Hoda continued – a feeling that many mothers of two or more feel often, especially in their children’s younger years. It’s important to find that balance with your kids, but it’s not always easy.
Hoda Kotb adopted both of her daughters – Haley, who just turned 6 years old, was adopted in February 2017, while Hope, who turns 4 years old next month, was adopted in April 2019. She co-parents her daughters with Joel Schiffman, who she used to be engaged to – they called it off in November 2019.
Kotb first opened up about Hope’s health complications upon her return to the TODAY show last week. “So for us, it was little Hope had to go to the hospital, and she was in the ICU for a few days and then the hospital for another week, and it was really scary,” she said – while adding that her daughter is in recovery.
She talked about how life can put your emotions in perspective in an instant. “I feel like life is one way on a Monday — and we all have our Mondays, and we complain about them,” she said. “And then Tuesday rolls around, and something really hits hard, and you realize that Monday was actually pretty awesome.”
Hoda Kotb is Appreciative of All the Love and Support
Upon her return to the TODAY show, Hoda Kotb expressed her gratitude for having her daughter home and the appreciation she has for all the love and support her family received. “I’m so grateful she’s home. She is back home. I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
She thanked the ‘amazing’ doctors and nurses at Weill Cornell, where her daughter was treated, and all of her friends who remained by her family’s side the entire way. I’m grateful to my family, and I’m grateful to friends like you who were there every single day. So, I want to say thank you for that. I love you.”
Hoda Kotb attended Virginia Tech, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Upon graduating, she began her career with then-CBS affiliate WXVT before moving on to ABC affiliate WQAD, CBS affiliate WINK, and CBS affiliate WWL throughout the late-1980s and most of the 1990s.
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It wasn’t until April 1998 that the Emmy-winning journalist joined NBC News. By 2007, she was named the host of the fourth hour of the TODAY show – first joined by Kathy Lee Gifford, who was succeeded by Jenna Bush Hager. She has also been the co-host of TODAY with Savannah Guthrie since 2018.
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