When Al Roker was hospitalized late last year, he had throngs of admirers and his Today coworkers looking out for him, but Deborah Roberts was his biggest supporter and caretaker.
The beloved weatherman, who has been a part of Today for almost thirty years, experienced a life-threatening health scare at the end of last year as a result of blood clots in his lungs. He was absent from Today from late November until January 6th, 2023, and was in and out of the hospital during that time.
With the exception of an imminent knee replacement surgery, his health has returned, and he is back on Today, but his wife of 27 years can’t help but notice that they are still recovering from the trying time.
Deborah, an ABC News news anchor herself, opened out to Entertainment Tonight at the screening of Brooke Shields’ documentary, Beautiful Baby, about her job as her husband’s carer.
“I believe a lot of people don’t realize that being a caretaker is incredibly draining, exhausting, terrifying, all of those things,” she added. “And I never recognized that.”
I’ve never experienced anything like this, the journalist said, adding, “And I hope I’ll never do it again.”
But it’s terrible, she continued, adding that even though Al is in much better health, it has been challenging to overcome the dark time. She added: “I’m still kind of, I believe, recovering. I’m still a little worn out. I continue to feel mentally worn out.
She continued, “But hey, I’m appreciative and just trying to just soak in the moment and just be pleased that he’s okay, and we’re all good,”
Fortunately, Deborah has a strong support system in place in addition to Al being “back to driving me crazy.” When asked how she handled her husband’s health issue, Deborah responded, “I would say my faith, my spirituality got me through it.
“My family and coworkers helped me get through it. Colleagues, many of whom are present now, encouraged me when I thought I wouldn’t be able to succeed. People were there, texting, emailing, and making calls, and that was the difference-maker.
