Longtime “Today” show host Al Roker said he’s “glad to be alive” as he celebrated another trip around the sun this weekend following multiple hospitalizations that kept him off the air for weeks.
The 69-year-old NBC host of the morning show said he’s “more than grateful” to be celebrating his birthday after he had to be hospitalized before Thanksgiving 2022 when a blood clot in his leg “sent some clots into” his lungs.
“This is my 69th anniversary of orbiting the sun and after everything that I went through at the end of last year I am more than grateful to be celebrating this birthday,” Roker said in a video on Instagram on Sunday while taking a brisk walk.
Al Roker ‘glad to be alive’ on 69th birthday following health scare https://t.co/lIG8uLSG8y pic.twitter.com/XC30Ov1VaF
— Page Six (@PageSix) August 21, 2023
“And to all of you who sent good wishes and well wishes over the past year, god bless you,” he added. “Thank you so much. I appreciate it.”
“A lot to be grateful for on this birthday and [I’m] glad to be alive,” Roker continued. “Thank you and take care. Have a great Sunday!”
Earlier this year, the weatherman finally returned to the set of the morning show on January 6 after being hospitalized multiple times for blood clots that took him off the air since mid-November.
Roker finally gave an update after his second hospitalization in December, calling it a “tough slog. I’m not going to deny this. It’s been the hardest one yet, and you know I’ve had my share of surgeries.”
The weather personality also admitted that four weeks in the hospital was hard on his body and said he wasn’t ready to return to the set yet.
“You lose a certain amount of muscle mass for every week you’re in the hospital, and I was in the hospital for four weeks,” Roker explained. “It’s just a certain amount of weakness. I’m doing physical therapy every day, occupational therapy. I’ve got to just get my strength back.”
On Thanksgiving, Roker posted photos on Instagram celebrating that he was out of the hospital after a blood clot in his leg “sent some clots into” his lungs.
However, he was rushed back to the hospital via ambulance on November 25 after falling ill again. Days later, the “Today” show confirmed that Roker was back in the hospital “due to some complications,” as they sent well wishes to their co-host.