Al Roker Says He’s ‘Glad to Be Alive’ on 69th Birthday

Al Roker is celebrating his 69th birthday, and the Today show weatherman says he’s “glad to be alive” for the momentous occasion. PEOPLE reports that Roker took to Instagram on Sunday to comment on taking “another trip around the sun.” He added, “This is my 69th anniversary of orbiting the sun. And after everything I went through at the end of last year, I am more than grateful.”

Roker’s birthday comes several months after he had to take a leave of absence from the Today show due to some health problems. The issues began in early November when the beloved meteorologist was hospitalized for clots in his legs and lungs. “Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs,” Roker wrote in a Nov. 18 Instagram post. After being treated, he was released to spend Thanksgiving with his family but had to be transported back to the hospital on Friday, Nov. 25.

Speaking to Page Six, a source familiar with the situation said, “Al was taken from his home in a stretcher back to the hospital on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. His condition was worrying, but once back in the hospital, he improved.” Notably, Roker’s health issues caused him to miss both the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Thankfully, Roker appears to be doing much better.

Earlier this year, Roker wound up in the hospital once again, this time for knee surgery. The beloved Today show co-host underwent the procedure in the spring and then returned to the morning show in May. He even surprised his Today co-anchors by making an early return to the show. He appeared in a live segment, much to the joy and surprise of Today anchors Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones, and Craig Melvin. 

“What’s up, brother? Good to see you,” Melvin exclaimed, then adding, “We weren’t expecting that – clearly!” Offering an update on his health, Roker shared, “I am doing fine. It is good to see all of you. I’m going to be honest. I’ve had a number of replacements, knee replacements. It’s not a big surprise. This one has been the toughest one yet because they had to take out the old one, which had some complications, and then put in a new one.”