It was a difficult time for her family.
Today co-host, Hoda Kotb, made her return to the show on March 6, after stepping away for weeks to care for her three-year-old daughter Hope, who was hospitalized due to health complications.
Following her return to the morning broadcast, Today with Hoda and Jenna, Kotb posted a message to Instagram extending her gratitude for the support she received from fans.
“Thank you …for
all of your beautiful words and prayers,” she wrote to followers on March 7. “I have read them all. You have no idea how much it means to me and my family. I am so profoundly touched.”The 58-year-old co-anchor shared details of her daughter’s health matter with the Today audience during her return episode. After spending days in the ICU, Hope was hospitalized for over a week.
“I’m so grateful she’s home,” she said. “I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
Kotb also thanked her Today colleagues for extending their support, and the professionals who made sure her daughter was taken care of.
“I’m grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell, who were amazing,” she added. “And the nurses.”
“Anyone who has gone through an illness with a child, I thought I understood you,” she said during the return episode, reflecting on the experience with her youngest daughter. “But I didn’t until you’re sitting in that position. For every single person who’s going through some stuff, I get it.”
Kotb is also mother to her six-year-old daughter, Haley Joy. The host discussed in 2022 how adopting her girls and becoming a mother was an impactful decision that took her out of her comfort zone.
Although Kotb has made her return, she continues to receive an outpour of support from her fans and Today family.