On Monday, Hoda Kotb returned to her Today show co-anchor chair after an unplanned two-week absence that had viewers concerned, especially after colleagues Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones explained during the March 1 broadcast that she was dealing with "a family health matter." As she settled back in at work, Hoda explained to fellow host Savannah Guthrie and the audience that it was her 3-year-old daughter, Hope Catherine, who went through a medical emergency.
Hope suffered health complications that landed her in the hospital
Although she did not offer specific details, Hoda shared that Hope spent time in the ICU. "My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days, and then in the hospital for a little over a week," the 58-year-old mom of two said. "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."
Hoda gave a special shout-out to her daughter's care team
"You know what I realized too, Savannah? It's like, when your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people who helped you out," she said. "So I'm grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell, who were amazing, and the nurses. And I'm grateful for 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."
Savannah held Hoda's hand as she shared her upsetting family update
Savannah — who herself recently missed several broadcasts after testing positive for COVID-19 on February 28 — lovingly supported her good friend and colleague as she bravely talked about Hope's illness. "I love you, too. You have a lot of friends out there. We are right there with you, lifting you up and holding you. So let's do this," Savannah told Hoda as the broadcast got underway.
During her time away from the show, Hoda's social media activity had sparked worry among fans
The beloved TV personality made several cryptic Instagram posts focusing on the theme of hope, leading fans to wonder what she might be going through behind the scenes. One post featured an inspirational image with the words "choose hope," and a follow-up message said simply, "Sometimes miracles are good people with kind hearts."
Later during Monday's show, Hoda admitted that her daughter's health crisis tested her usually positive mindset
She explained to co-anchor Jenna Bush Hager that though she prefers to focus on gratitude and positive thinking in her life, she struggled with dark thoughts.
"I found myself not living in that lane because I was scared," she explained. "Then I decided, you know what? I have a family who loves me. I have a little girl who's home. I have a wonderful support system. My doctors, who would have done anything to make everything better and they did. So sometimes you talk about gratitude, and then when you're pushed to the limit in your life, it's like, 'Do I feel it?'"
She concluded with a message to other parents facing similar challenges, letting them know she understands: "And also anyone who's ever gone through an illness with a child, boy, I thought I understood you. But I didn't. You don't until you're sitting in that position. So for every single person going through some stuff, I get it."
