
Hoda Kotb's decision to leave Today was fuelled by her daughter's major health crisis
Hoda Kotb decided to leave 'Today' when her daughter was facing a health crisis.
The 60-year-old journalist - who is the adoptive mother of Haley, eight, and six-year-old Hope - recently stepped down from her long-running position as host of the NBC news programme 'Today' alongside Jenna Bush Hager and after revealing that her daughter had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, recalledthat that the "worry" she felt when the little one took ill "definitely factored in" to her decision to quit.
She told US TV show 'Extra': "We thought it was the flu and it wasn't getting better. I went to the pediatrician a handful of times, and they kept saying that it seemed like the flu and don't worry, don't worry, and one day I looked at her and I said, 'I'm worried.' So I took her to the ER and she was in the ICU for several days, so it was difficult.
"It definitely factored in [to my decision to leave]. I mean, look, all I did was look at her numbers. I had my phone on the set when we were doing the news, and I was looking, 'cause you can see what her levels are doing, and if they drop too low, she needs help. So I was constantly looking at it, calling the school, calling my babysitter, calling, and I'm like, 'Why am I calling all the time? Just, you be there.
Meanwhile, the 'Dateline' presenter noted that she had become so "tired" in the run-up to her exit from the show that her former co-host had "forced" her to undertake a breathing class - which she was reluctant to do - and now she has become open-minded to all forms of wellness methods.
She said: "I think I was tired, man. I think I felt depleted. I think I couldn't figure out why I felt like I was carrying a heavy load. I was doing all the things, but I didn't feel right. I tried a breath work class — Jenna forced me. I was, like, stiff-arming her. I was like, 'I don't want your breath work, crazy. I'm not woo-woo like you are.' And then I tried it, and she was like, 'Did you cry?' I go, 'I did.' She goes, 'See?' So, I felt a clarity and an energy that I was lacking, and it felt so good, so, and then it just snowballed. I'm just insatiable. I try this, I try that. I'm gonna try everything!"

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Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Hoda Kotb's decision to leave Today was fuelled by her daughter's major health crisis
Hoda Kotb decided to leave 'Today' when her daughter was facing a health crisis. The 60-year-old journalist - who is the adoptive mother of Haley, eight, and six-year-old Hope - recently stepped down from her long-running position as host of the NBC news programme 'Today' alongside Jenna Bush Hager and after revealing that her daughter had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, recalledthat that the "worry" she felt when the little one took ill "definitely factored in" to her decision to quit. She told US TV show 'Extra': "We thought it was the flu and it wasn't getting better. I went to the pediatrician a handful of times, and they kept saying that it seemed like the flu and don't worry, don't worry, and one day I looked at her and I said, 'I'm worried.' So I took her to the ER and she was in the ICU for several days, so it was difficult. "It definitely factored in [to my decision to leave]. I mean, look, all I did was look at her numbers. I had my phone on the set when we were doing the news, and I was looking, 'cause you can see what her levels are doing, and if they drop too low, she needs help. So I was constantly looking at it, calling the school, calling my babysitter, calling, and I'm like, 'Why am I calling all the time? Just, you be there. Meanwhile, the 'Dateline' presenter noted that she had become so "tired" in the run-up to her exit from the show that her former co-host had "forced" her to undertake a breathing class - which she was reluctant to do - and now she has become open-minded to all forms of wellness methods. She said: "I think I was tired, man. I think I felt depleted. I think I couldn't figure out why I felt like I was carrying a heavy load. I was doing all the things, but I didn't feel right. I tried a breath work class — Jenna forced me. I was, like, stiff-arming her. I was like, 'I don't want your breath work, crazy. I'm not woo-woo like you are.' And then I tried it, and she was like, 'Did you cry?' I go, 'I did.' She goes, 'See?' So, I felt a clarity and an energy that I was lacking, and it felt so good, so, and then it just snowballed. I'm just insatiable. I try this, I try that. I'm gonna try everything!"


7NEWS
22-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Georgia mother says she is being forced to keep brain-dead pregnant daughter alive under abortion ban law
A pregnant woman in Georgia who was declared brain-dead is being kept alive by ventilators because of the state's law banning abortions, the woman's mother says, telling local news that the family has no say in the matter. April Newkirk said her 30-year-old daughter, Adriana Smith, began experiencing intense headaches in early February. Smith was nine weeks pregnant at the time with her second child, NBC affiliate WXIA-TV of Atlanta reported. Smith sought treatment at Northside Hospital but was released and given medication, Newkirk said, claiming the hospital did not run any tests or scans. Northside did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A day after seeking treatment, Smith's boyfriend woke up to find her gasping for air and making gargling noises, Newkirk told WXIA. Smith was rushed to Emory Decatur and then transferred to Emory University Hospital, where a CT scan showed multiple blood clots in her brain, the news station reported. Newkirk said that her daughter was declared brain-dead and has 'been breathing through machines for more than 90 days'. 'It's torture for me,' she said. 'I see my daughter breathing, but she's not there.' Newkirk declined an interview when contacted by NBC News. According to WXIA, the plan is to keep Smith alive until the baby boy can safely survive on his own, most likely at 32 weeks. Republican governor Brian Kemp signed the state's near-total abortion ban, known as the LIFE Act, in 2019, but it didn't take effect until 2022, after it faced a legal challenge and the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v Wade. Under the law, abortions are illegal after six weeks of pregnancy. Exceptions include some situations to protect the woman's life and health, when foetal anomalies are detected, and in cases of rape and incest that have been documented with police. Newkirk told the station that her daughter is currently 21 weeks pregnant. 'It should have been left up to the family,' Newkirk said, telling the station that doctors informed the family they are legally not allowed to consider any other options. 'I'm not saying that we would have chose to terminate her pregnancy, but what I'm saying is, we should have had a choice,' she said. A spokesperson for Emory Healthcare said it 'uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualised treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia's abortion laws and all other applicable laws'. 'Our top priorities continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients we serve,' the spokesperson said. Monica Simpson, executive director of the organisation SisterSong, said the first issue with Smith's case is that she did not receive proper care when she sought help for her headaches. The situation the family is in now raises another issue, the grey area with the state's abortion ban, Simpson said in a phone call Thursday. The ban creates 'this type of uncertainty for medical care providers, it creates this type of uncertainty for folks who are coming up against it,' Simpson said. 'It's not black and white,' she added. 'There's, unfortunately, these grey areas that our elected officials, our state, our governor did not take into consideration when moving this ban into play. What we've seen … is that there are grey areas and that's where the danger comes in.' Newkirk said the family is also having to deal with the financial responsibility of keeping Smith on life support, with a GoFundMe set up to help cover costs.


7NEWS
20-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Mummy blogger's 3-year-old son dies after being pulled unresponsive from pool
The 3-year-old son of US social media content creator Emilie Kiser died Sunday in hospital after a May 12 incident in a backyard pool, police in Arizona said. Chandler police said Trigg Kiser died after he was hospitalised for several days. Authorities responded to a drowning call in Chandler, around 20 miles southeast of Phoenix, where they found a 3-year-old unconscious and being pulled out of a pool, NBC affiliate K PNX of Phoenix reported. The Chandler Fire Department told KPNX that police officers arrived at the home first and began CPR until firefighters arrived and took over. The child, now identified as Trigg, was taken to Chandler Regional Hospital, where he remained in critical condition for six days until he died, KPNX reported. 'Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the child's family and loved ones during this unimaginable time,' Chandler police spokesperson Sonu Wasu said in a statement Sunday. Emilie Kiser, a 26-year-old influencer with nearly 3.4 million TikTok followers, gained popularity for her mum-and-wife lifestyle content. She and her husband, Brady Kiser, recently welcomed their second child, Theodore, in March. Trigg would have celebrated his fourth birthday on July 14. Comments have poured in on Emilie Kiser's latest Instagram posts, as followers offer their condolences and support to the family. Kiser has not yet released a statement about her son's death. 'The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident remain ongoing,' Wasu said in the police statement Sunday. 'This is still an open investigation. Out of respect for the family's privacy, we will not be releasing additional details until the investigation is closed.' Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May is also National Water Safety Month in the US, which brings awareness for drowning prevention and safety resources.