Hoda Kotb Says She Struggled to Have Gratitude Amid Daughter Hope's Hospitalization: 'I Was Scared'

Hoda Kotb continued to share the emotional journey she's been on over the past few weeks as her 3-year-old daughter, Hope, was hospitalized after spending several days in the ICU.

After returning to the Today show on Monday and revealing the reason for her extended absence, Kotb went more in-depth during her time on Today With Hoda & Jenna alongside her co-anchor, Jenna Bush Hager.

"Little Hope had to go to the hospital and she was in the ICU for a few days and then in the hospital for another week and it was really scary," the mother of two shared. "She's vibrant and brilliant. She's home. She's home. She's home. I'm over the moon that she's home."

Hoda told her supporters, "I felt you. I heard you. I needed you."

The always-positive journalist admitted to struggling with staying grateful amid her daughter's health battle.

"It's funny, I always talk about gratitude, gratitude, but I found myself not living in that lane because I was scared," Kotb said. "And then I decided, you know what, let me think about this for a minute. I have a family who loves me. I have a little girl who's home. I have a wonderful support system. I have doctors who would have done anything to make everything better, and they did. So sometimes you talk about gratitude and when you're pushed to the limit you're like, do I feel it?"

Kotb also held up a necklace she was wearing that was given to her by a friend that holds a special meaning.

"She said, 'I'm going to take it off my neck and I'm going to send it to you and it's worn down because I rub it all the time and it says, 'God's got this,'" Kotb said. "She says, 'If I ever see you not wearing it, I'm coming to get you.'"

Noting that Hope is "home and good," Kotb shared a sweet story about her little girl finding two confetti stars and handing her one in a touching moment.

"I thought to myself, this child, even when she's not feeling good, she's still giving everything away," Kotb shared of her youngest daughter.

The proud mom also shared a message to parents dealing with sick children.

"For anyone who's ever gone through an illness with a child, boy, I thought I understood you, but I don't. I didn't," Kotb noted. "Until you're sitting in that position. For every single person who's going through some stuff, I get it."

Kotb was noticeably absent from the Today show for several weeks. Co-anchor Craig Melvin previously shared that Kotb was "OK" and dealing with a "family health matter."

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