Al Roker returned to TODAY on Jan. 6 after nearly two months, which is quite the feat, according to his wife, Deborah Roberts.
Al first went to the hospital in November 2022 for a blood clot in his leg. He missed hosting the Thanksgiving Day parade for the first time in 27 years and checked out of the hospital on Thanksgiving Day, but soon returned for a second time before checking out again in early December.
Deborah, who is a correspondent for ABC News, said Al’s health was in serious jeopardy.
“It’s not lost on us that this is a major, major thing for Al to be here,” she said on TODAY Jan. 6. “He is a living, breathing miracle. He really is. And I have to say, I’m not overstating it — I don’t think — Al was a very, very, very sick man. And I think most people did not know that.”
Al said he had blood clots that doctors think came up after he had Covid and he had internal bleeding, which led to a major surgery. Deborah credits her husband’s medical team for helping him get through his ordeal, especially when it was unclear what was ailing him.
“It was a team that had to figure out what was happening,” she said. “He was a medical mystery for a couple weeks. And it was the most tumultuous, frightening journey we have ever been on.”
“After fighting through all of this … Al went through a lot of tests, a lot scopes,” she added. “I mean, there was just so much that had to be done and a surgery, if you don’t mind me saying, a major, major surgery. And we were just on pins and needles, every day.”
Deborah also said there was a moment she knew that Al, whose presence was greatly missed by the TODAY family, would be alright.
“Al and I were sitting there one day in the hospital and through this very scratchy voice, and he was so gonked and exhausted, and he said, ‘I’m going to make a spatchcock turkey for Christmas,’" she said. "And I didn’t know whether to burst into tears or just to beam. I mean, that was the moment for me."
She added, “I’m sitting here hoping he’s going to make it to Christmas and he wants to make a turkey, and I just knew at that point, that will, that drive, is so strong."
Al said Deborah was integral in his bouncing back.
“What Deborah did the most for me was, I had no idea how bad off I was. I thought I was doing pretty good,” he said.
Al is also ecstatic that he could return to work, knowing his team of medical professionals who treated him made sure he was good to go.
“My heart is just bursting,” Al said. “I’m just so thrilled to see all of you and the crew and everybody. Right now, I’m running on adrenaline. I’m just thrilled to be here.”
“All these doctors, I knew they had my back,” he added later on.
Deborah also said she was blown away by all the kind wishes Al received, from people they knew and total strangers.
“The amount of goodwill toward you, I will never, ever, ever forget, and never, ever, ever take for granted,” she said.