Dylan Dreyer’s husband, Brian Fichera, honored Hoda Kotb on her birthday by sharing a story of her kindness and compassion during an extremely difficult time.
In a recent Instagram post, Fichera described how Hoda was there for him and Dylan just after they received the devastating news that Dylan had suffered a miscarriage in early 2019.
“To celebrate Hodas (sic) birthday I’m going to tell you what you already know. Hoda. Is. Love. Dyl and I have been vocal about our secondary infertility and our miscarriage.this story takes place the morning we suffered a miscarriage,” he wrote, sharing a sweet photo of Hoda during what looks like a family day at the beach.
He shared that in February 2019, he and Dylan had plans with Hoda and her family to take their children to “Sesame Street Live!” in New York City.
“We woke up that morning and realized that something was seriously wrong…Right away Dyl went to the doctor to confirm the worst while I stayed with Cal. We lost the baby,” he said. “Numb to the news and with a feeling of total helplessness Dyl made the decision that we would continue with our day as planned. Why should Cal miss out on what was the childs (sic) equivalent of seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show?”
Brian said he took their son Calvin, now 5, to the “Sesame Street Live!” event on his own, and when Hoda asked where Dylan was, Brian told her that she was at the doctor.
“It wasn’t lost on Hoda that it was Saturday morning and there was a good chance this wasnt exactly a scheduled doctors visit,” Brain wrote. “My eyes began to well up and I had finally said what I hadn’t yet had the courage to say out loud ‘I think we lost the baby’.”
Brian said that although this was his first one-on-one chat with Hoda, she dropped everything to show him care and compassion.
“I just unleashed this heavy burden on to her and without hesitation she gave me a hug while the kids just sat with great anticipation waiting for Elmo to come out and rock their world,” he wrote. “When Dyl got to her seat I had cried my tears and was ready to carry the world for my wife to help get us through this. The weight of the world was infinitely lighter because @hodakotb was there at the drop of a hat to help me lift it. Thank you. Happy birthday Hoda.”
Brian shared a similar post about Hoda’s kindness on Instagram near the end of 2019, thanking Hoda for being “so kind and so supportive.”
Brian wasn’t the only one to recognize Hoda’s caring nature on her birthday.
TODAY's Sheinelle Jones shared some sweet anecdotes about how Hoda was there for her during tough times.
“When I had covid last Christmas, you know who was the first to call me and help me while I cried like a baby? Hoda. When my grandfather passed, you know who was the first to call me? Hoda. She’s the real deal,” Sheinelle wrote on Instagram. “@hodakotb - I hope you felt the love today. I admire the way you exude warmth and compassion each day.”
Savannah Guthrie also shared a collection of sweet pics of Hoda in honor of her recent birthday, calling her TODAY colleague “our sunshine.”
Since 2019, both Brian and Dylan have spoken candidly about their experiences with miscarriage and secondary infertility.
"I felt like I needed to be strong for Dylan,'' he wrote, reflecting on the miscarriage for TODAY in June 2019. "I felt guilty putting my head on her shoulders and crying after she had gone through absolute hell. But remember you are partners. You share everything together. The more open you are with each other, both emotionally and physically, the more you will be able to get through anything without any added stress. I’m not saying it won’t hurt, but pain is infinitely easier to deal with if you have someone to hold on to. Share each other’s joy. Share each other’s pain."
After making it through that difficult time together, they have had plenty of joyous news to share. Dylan and Brian welcomed their second child, Oliver George Fichera, in January 2020, and they welcomed a third son, Russell James Fichera, in September 2021.