Al Roker Poses With Wife for Christmas Photo After Health Scare: ‘Gratitude’

Al Roker is on the mend following his recent stint in the hospital. On Tuesday, the Today Show meteorologist’s wife, Deborah Roberts, shared a photo of the pair celebrating the holidays. This latest update comes weeks after Roker spent four weeks in the hospital for blood clots. 

In the snap, which can be found here, Roker and Roberts flashed bright smiles for the camera as they held each other close. Roberts’ accompanying caption stresses how grateful she and her husband are after experiencing some hardships this past year. She shared a “Holiday Hello” with everyone, adding that they’ve been able to experience “#joyful moments filled with #gratitude #health.” Roker and Roberts’ friends and fans alike commented on the post to share some positivity with the couple. ABC News’ David Muir shared a simple red heart emoji. Meanwhile, Maria Shriver wrote, “love this so happy for you both.”

This past fall has been a difficult one for the Roker family. Roker was forced to take a significant step back from the Today Show as he recovered from a medical ordeal. He was hospitalized after blood clots were found in one of his legs that subsequently traveled to his lungs. Both he and Roberts have since shared multiple updates to let fans know that he has finally returned home to spend time with his family during the holidays as his recovery continues. 

Roker opened up about his health journey during a virtual appearance on the Today Show. He explained that it’s been a “tough slog” and one of the “hardest” health matters that he’s had to deal with. The meteorologist also said that because of this recent hospitalization, he had to postpone a knee-replacement surgery.

“You lose a certain amount of muscle mass for every week you’re in the hospital, and I was in the hospital for four weeks,” Roker explained. “It’s just a certain amount of weakness. I’m doing physical therapy every day, occupational therapy. I’ve got to just get my strength back.” The longtime Today Show personality added, “I’ve got a number of issues, but I feel good, I feel strong, and every day I feel a little bit better. I made dinner last night. I just feel like this is going to be a little bit of a slog, but there are a lot of people who have to deal with a lot more with a lot fewer resources. I’m very fortunate and very blessed to be able to have the resources I’ve had.”