The beloved Today show weatherman’s wife, Al Roker, is being up about caring for her husband through a recent, potentially fatal health crisis.
Roker’s wife of 27 years, Deborah Roberts, recently talked to Entertainment Tonight about her experience caring for him while he was in the hospital and recovering from a significant 7-hour operation.
The caregiver told the site, “I think a lot of people don’t realize that — and I never realized that — that being a caregiver is incredibly hard, exhausting, terrifying, all of those things, and I never went through anything like this.” “And I sincerely hope I won’t do it again.”
But it’s difficult, the 62-year-old added. It’s difficult. I feel like I’m still recovering. I’m still physically and mentally drained, but you know what? I’m grateful and trying to just enjoy the moment and be glad that he and we are all well.
Roberts, a contributing anchor for 20/20 and senior national affairs correspondent for ABC News, then quipped that she knows Roker, 68, is doing well since he’s “back to driving me crazy,” and she acknowledged that she’s pleased she could lean on her loved ones during the trying time.
She claimed, “I would say my faith, my spirituality, got me through it. Folks were there and texted, emailed, and called, and that made all the difference. “My family got me through it, my colleagues got me through it. Colleagues, many of whom are here today, lifted me up at times when I felt like I just couldn’t make it.”
Roker spent about two weeks at a time in the hospital twice at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center beginning in early November, when he was first identified as having blood clots that had spread from his leg to his lungs.
Roker had dealt with numerous health difficulties, including a diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2020. She told PEOPLE in January that Roberts was afraid since the most recent scare put him in danger of dying.
About his children Leila, 24, and Nicholas, 20, as well as his daughter Courtney, 35, from his first marriage, Roberts stated, “I was actually bracing myself to have a chat with the kids about the potential of losing their father.
“I’m blessed to be alive,” Roker continued.
Without you, there is no doubt that I would not be present, yet here we are, Roker continued, turning to face Roberts.
