Hoda Kotb Discusses Navigating Her Daughter Hope’s Journey with Type 1 Diabetes
Hoda Kotb is adapting to her daughter Hope’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
“She’s really found her rhythm, and we’re figuring out how to manage her diabetes,” Kotb, 60, shared with Us Weekly during the Joy 101 red carpet event on Wednesday, May 28. “I think many parents and families experience this. When kids are young, it can be challenging. They crave what they want, and it’s tough.”
Kotb revealed Hope’s diagnosis to People on Wednesday, explaining that caring for her youngest daughter has been a journey of “constant attention.” (Kotb and her former fiancé Joel Schiffman adopted daughters Haley and Hope in 2017 and 2019, respectively, and they announced their separation in 2022, three years after getting engaged.)
“We’re monitoring her around the clock,” Kotb mentioned, calling Hope a “trooper” for enduring insulin injections and blood sugar checks. “She used to get shots — four or five daily — every day for a year. Now, she receives them less often thanks to alternative methods to meet her needs, but it’s still a lot. Some children can enjoy sweets, but she can’t. If she needs help at night, we have to be there for her.”
The former Today anchor expressed that Hope is a “happy, healthy, lively, amazing kid, and we must keep an eye on her.” She added, “Diabetes is part of her life but doesn’t define her. I hope it shapes her, not defines her.”
Kotb mentioned that Hope’s diagnosis played a role in her choice to leave the NBC morning show in January.
“I truly wanted and needed to be here to look after her. Whenever she requires anything, which can occur at night, I’m always awake — up, up, up,” Kotb disclosed. “But I would never want Hope to someday think, ‘Oh, my mom left her job because of me.’ It wasn’t solely that. Yet, if you consider it cumulatively, it was part of that decision.”
Months after her exit, Kotb returned to Today on Wednesday to promote her new wellness app and brand, Joy 101, which launched on the same day.
“You hit a button, and a tailored program is instantly created for you,” she explained. “If you’re looking for prayer, it’s available on the app. If you want meditation or assistance with sleep, that’s all included. Plus, we’ll have courses and various exciting offerings. Retreats are also on the agenda. It’s everything we love.”
