Hoda Kotb Opens Up About Concerns for Her Daughter’s Diabetes Struggle
Hoda Kotb is opening up about her concerns regarding her daughter Hope’s battle with Type 1 diabetes.
“Everyone has their challenges,” the former Today anchor, 62, shared in an interview with USA Today published on Tuesday, September 29. “I worry about my youngest daughter, who has diabetes. I’m concerned. I check my phone all night to monitor her numbers and I wake up to see how she is doing. It’s a continuous cycle. That’s just how it is.”
Kotb mentioned that she has discovered ways to cope through her wellness initiative, Joy 101, and the brand’s annual retreats. The most recent fall retreat took place at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida, from Friday, September 25, to Sunday, September 27.
“I can go in there and engage in a breathwork [session] to unload everything I’m carrying. Then I return to Hope and [daughter] Haley, recharged and ready to go,” she elaborated. “But we all care for someone in need or are dealing with our own challenges, and I feel it’s important to take a moment to kneel before tackling life’s mountains!”
Kotb is the mother of Hope, 7, and Haley, 9, whom she shares with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. The couple dated for eight years before announcing their separation in January 2022.
Kotb disclosed Hope’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis in May 2025, praising her younger daughter as a “trooper” for managing insulin injections and blood sugar checks.
“Caring for Hope is an ongoing responsibility. We monitor her 24/7,” she told People at that time. “She was receiving four to five shots each day for a year. Now it’s less frequent thanks to alternative methods for her care, but it involves a lot. Some kids can enjoy sweets, but she cannot. If she wakes up during the night, we must attend to her needs.”
Despite these health challenges, Kotb describes Hope as a “happy, healthy, energetic, amazing kid, and we have to keep a watchful eye on her.”
She added, “Diabetes is a part of her life, but it does not define her. I hope it shapes her future, but never becomes her identity.”
Hope’s diagnosis influenced Kotb’s decision to step away from the Today show after 17 years in January 2025.
“I really wanted and needed to be present to watch over her. Whenever she needs something—it can be at night—I’m up and attentive,” Kotb explained. “But I never want Hope to grow up thinking, ‘Oh, my mom left her job because of me.’ It wasn’t solely that. However, if you consider it as a whole, it played a part in that decision.”
Kotb also updated Us on Hope’s health journey in May 2025.
“She’s definitely found her rhythm, and we’re learning to manage her diabetes,” she mentioned. “I feel many parents and families go through similar experiences. When kids are young, it’s challenging. They desire what they want, and that can be tough.”
