Hoda Kotb reveals daughter's diagnosis and health battle amid TODAY exit
Former 'TODAY' show anchor Hoda Kotb has opened up on her daughter Hope's health battle.
Hoda Kotb is enduring her daughter gets the "constant" care she needs after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
The 60-year-old news anchor - who officially ended her 'TODAY' show tenure in January after over 17 years - has opened up more about her daughter six-year-old daughter Hope's ongoing health battle after her diagnosis in 2023.
She told PEOPLE magazine: "It’s kind of constant care for Hope. We’re monitoring her 24/7."
She hailed Hope as a "trooper" amid the battle with the autoimmune disease, which tops the pancreas from producing its own insulin.
As well as frequent insulin injections, an affected person's blood sugar level must be monitored vigilantly.
Hoda added: “She was getting shots — four or five a day — every day for a year.
"Now she is getting them less frequently because we have some other means to get her what she needs, but there’s a lot to it.
"Some kids can have sweets and she can’t. If she’s up in the night, we have to take care of her at night.”
However, Hoda was keen to point out how well her daughter is doing, and that her health should not "define" her as a person.
She said: “She is a happy, healthy, rambunctious, amazing kid, and we have to watch her.
"Diabetes is a part of her, but not all of her. I hope it shapes her but never defines her.”
And despite making a decision to step away from 'TODAY' to focus on her family and be there for Hope, she doesn't want her to think it was the only reason she quit, as she was also keen to simply spend more time with her and ex-fiance Joel Schiffman's children, including eldest daughter Hayley, eight.
Hoda clarified: “I really wanted to and needed to be here to watch over her. So, whenever she needs anything, and it can happen at night, multiple times, I’m up — I’m up up up.
“But I would never, ever want Hope to one day grow up and say, ‘Oh, my mom left her job because [of me].’
"It wasn’t that alone. But if you look at it cumulatively, it was a part of that decision.”
