Hoda Kotb Opens up About Daughter Hope's Health Crisis for the First Time in Emotional Interview
Kotb says that "things have stabilized" and she's "trying to make everything normal" for her daughter.
One year after her daughter Hope suffered a frightening health crisis, Today show host Hoda Kotb is opening up about the ordeal for the first time. In an emotional new interview with PEOPLE, Kotb discussed the scary experience but did not share a specific diagnosis.
"We had a scary stretch," Kotb said of 4-year-old Hope's medical crisis. "Any parent who's been through a scary thing with their child understands. It's like you just can't believe that your child's sick. You can't believe that there's nothing you can do. You can't believe that no matter what you do, you can't will it away or protect her, or all the things that we're supposed to be doing as parents. And it's a position I've never found myself in."
In February 2023, Kotb missed several episodes of Today while away dealing with a family emergency. Upon returning, she shared what she had been through, explaining on-air, "Little Hope had to go to the hospital and she was in the ICU for a few days and then in the hospital for another week and it was really scary."
Several months into their new reality, Kotb now says that "things have stabilized," and explains that she's hired some extra help, as Hope's condition requires more medical attention than her busy schedule allows her to do on her own.
The loving mom is now focusing on "trying to make everything normal" for her daughter. "It's really tricky, because I don't want Hope to get labeled. She's a kid who is so vibrant, and most days everything is totally fine. I don't want people to look at her differently."
While she's got a lot to handle, Kotb makes it clear that she and her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman are doing their best to shield Hope — and her older sister Haley, 7 — from any health concerns. "I'm not going to put my worry on her. It's too much for a kid to carry," she said, then adding that she has a tough time sleeping at night as she listens for the sound of Hope's monitors.
"Even just always saying, 'How are you feeling? You feeling good today, honey?' is saying, 'I'm worried,' because you're not saying that about your other child," Kotb continues. "I'll be discussing how it's going with the nanny, the nurse, whoever, and if she's there, she's like, 'Am I okay?' I'm trying so hard to let her be a kid and not have all of the grown-up worries."