Hoda Kotb Got a "Priority Check" About Daughter Hope That Prompted Her TODAY Exit

Before reuniting with Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY with Jenna and Friends, Hoda Kotb appeared on TODAY during the May 28 episode and revealed her youngest daughter, 9-year-old Hope, has Type 1 diabetes.

Speaking with co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, the mother of two explained that a 2023 health scare led to Hope's diagnosis.

"[Hope] looked like she had the flu, and we literally had to race to the hospital," Kotb said. "And you get there and you realize that it's not that at all. And it took us going to the hospital to figure it out."

Although wanting to be with her kids more was the driving force behind her decision to leave TODAY in January, Kotb admitted that Hope's diabetes diagnosis "definitely weighed in."

In 2025, Hope's health has stabilized, but that doesn't mean the journey is over. Kotb revealed she's relieved she can be around Hope more now that she's not regularly appearing on the morning show she called home for so many years.

"As anyone with a child who has Type 1 [knows], especially a little kid, you're constantly watching, you're constantly monitoring, you're constantly checking, which is what I did all the time when I was [at TODAY]. You're distracted," she explained.

Ultimately, Hope's diagnosis gave Kotb what she called a "priority check."

"You just get a priority check in your life," she said. "I can be here and sweating what's happening to Hope in the morning and in the night, or I can be there and feel relief that I can see."

Fans were happy to learn that Kotb's youngest is living a life just like any other kid — save for a few minutes a day, when Kotb keeps a close eye on her.

"Hope is fine for most of the day. There are just moments where you have to watch her," Kotb revealed. "I was totaling it up — five minutes at breakfast, five minutes at lunch, five minutes at dinner, sometimes overnight. Add that up, that's a half-hour. So for 23 and a half hours, she's every other kid. So I try to remember that."

RELATED: Hoda Kotb's New Joy 101 Wellness App Is Here, & It's a "Retreat in Your Pocket"

Hoda Kotb is living her best mom life

Kotb's daughters, Hope and Haley, are her world, and in a January 13 Instagram post — shared just days after she departed TODAY — the star updated fans on her day-to-day life, which now includes school drop-off. 

Being away from her TODAY duties means Kotb has more time to do things with her family, like dropping her girls off at school. Kotb's smile says it all in this photo. She's on cloud nine here. 

"School drop!!! Let's goooo!" Kotb captioned.

Her former colleagues loved seeing Kotb living her best life, too.

"Aaaaaaaand that's what it's all about!!❤️," Carson Daly commented.

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