HODA Kotb has recently opened up about how her cancer diagnosis has affected her ability to have children.
The Today anchor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
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Hoda opened up about her past health issues as the TV personality hit a major milestone as she turned 60 on August 9.
The US daytime TV host shared her cancer journey on her podcast Making Space.
She said, “I do remember that even the doctor said to me then, you know, one of the sort of side effects, especially at your age, which was in my 40s, early 40s, is you won’t be able to have children.
“And I was like, ‘Wait, what?’
“So this thing not only put limits on my life, but killed a dream.”
‘IT MADE ME FREE’
Hoda went on to explain that she was at a low point in her life at the time and what she said to herself to help her feel better.
“I remember waking up one morning and saying to myself — it was like a lightning bolt — and it was like, I remember those four words. It was, you can’t scare me because the worst had happened.
“So now what? Now what am I afraid of? And so not being afraid released me. It made me free, it was amazing.
“Asking for what you deserve is something that you should be able to do without worrying about, ‘Well I’m doing this because maybe I won’t live that long’
“We shouldn’t have to have that in order to propel us to ask for what we deserve,” she concluded.
MOM OF TWO
In 2013, Hoda and her then-boyfriend Joel Schiffman adopted their first child, Haley.
The former couple adopted their second daughter, Hope in 2019.
That same year, Hoda and Joel revealed that they were engaged.
TODAY Show hosts
The TODAY Show is an American television program airing on NBC at 7am. The broadcast discusses domestic and international news, as well as weather reports. The weekday and weekend hosts include:
However, they announced their engagement was off in 2022.
HER JOURNEY
During her cancer journey, Hoda openly discussed her experiences on Today.
Earlier in her podcast, she talked about when she first got her diagnosis and what was going through her head.
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“When I got sick, I remember it so clearly because I was thinking to myself, like, ‘How do I have breast cancer?’ and ”why do I need a mastectomy?’
A mastectomy is when surgeons remove all or part of a breast to prevent breast cancer.
“I worried that everyone who had cancer died of cancer. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, well, I have it now. So is that what that means?’ Hoda said.
Since her mastectomy, Hoda has been cancer-free.
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