Al Roker reflects on near-death experience and the heartbreaking lesson that changed his view of family.QN

Al Roker has spent decades bringing sunshine to America’s mornings, but this time, it was his own storm he had to weather. In an emotional reflection ahead of Father’s Day, the beloved TODAY weatherman opened up about his near-death health crisis — and how it changed the way he sees himself, his family, and the fragile nature of time.

At 69, Roker has battled through more than his share of health challenges, including life-threatening blood clots that spread from his leg to his lungs in late 2022, internal bleeding, and a torn intestine that required a grueling seven-hour surgery. It was during those dark days, lying in a hospital bed “barely able to get up,” that he experienced something unfamiliar — vulnerability.

“You want to be that strength your kids need,” Roker admitted. “And when you’re lying there and can’t move, you almost don’t want them to see you like that.” His wife, ABC journalist Deborah Roberts, and his three children — Courtney, Leila, and Nick — stood by his side through it all, even as doctors fought to save his life.

The broadcaster recalled learning only later how terrified his family truly was, describing how they wept outside his hospital room. “It’s funny,” he said softly, “it was the first time I felt that vulnerability as a father.”

Now, fully recovered and back with his TODAY colleagues Craig Melvin, Willie Geist, and Carson Daly, Roker says his brush with mortality made him grateful — but also more aware of his limits. “You’re living your life thinking everything’s great,” he reflected, “and then out of nowhere, this health event happens.”

Even with a new knee and fresh perspective, Roker admits he thinks about his late father often — especially because both men reached the same age milestone. “My dad was 69 when he died. It’s weird to think, ‘Am I going to beat the over/under?’” he joked during TODAY’s Father’s Day roundtable. His co-hosts quickly reassured him that, with all the “new parts” he’s got, he’ll be around for decades to come.

But this year, life handed him something even more powerful than recovery — the joy of becoming a grandfather. His eldest daughter Courtney is expecting her first child, a moment Roker describes as “surreal.”

“You’re carrying them,” he said, “and then one day, you realize your oldest is carrying a baby. It’s the craziest thing.”

Still, the veteran broadcaster remains as humble and humorous as ever, cracking jokes about Father’s Day gifts (“Maybe two dozen golf balls!”) while raising a toast with his TODAY co-stars to fatherhood — and, soon, grandfatherhood.

Through it all, Al Roker’s message is clear: even the strongest fathers can fall, but what defines them is how they rise — and how deeply they’re loved when they do.