Who is Al Roker’s wife? Deborah Roberts has 'a little PTSD' after husband's near death experience
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Deborah Roberts, Al Roker's wife, revealed that her husband's deteriorating health made her scared for his life. She revealed that her 68-year-old husband was in 'dire shape' and the family believed they were 'going to lose him'. The couple talked about Roker's hospitalization and life-threatning surgery during an appearance on 'Coversations Above Noise with Maria.'
Roker, 68, was hospitalized due to blood clots and internal bleeding. "This was terrifying at every minute. It was like the worst roller coaster ride you have ever been on," Roberts said. She also said that she and her family ''have a little PTSD" after what they went through.
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What happened to Al Roker?
Roker's trouble started in November and he was hospitalized for blood clots that had moved from his legs to the lungs. It was also discovered by doctors that he was bleeding internally but they could not determine the cause. ''Al, first of all, was in a state of depletion. They wouldn't let him eat half the time because they were worried in case he would upset something or if they had to go in and do tests,'' Roberts explained.
After spending two weeks in the hospital, the doctors thought he was stable enough to go back home for Thanksgiving. However, he was rushed back to the hospital the day after Thanksgiving when he started to feel weak. The doctors discovered he was in need of blood transfusions due to the amount of blood lost. Roker had two bleeding ulcers for which he had to go through a seven-hour long emergency surgery. Doctors had to remove his gallbladder, resection his colon and fix a tear in his duodenum. Roker returned home in early December.
Who is Deborah Roberts?
Roberts, born on September 20, 1960 in Perry, Georgia, is one of the top Black women in broadcast journalism. According to The History Makers, she went to the University of Georgia and graduated with BA degree in journalism in 1982. After her graduation, she began her career working for WTVM-TV. She now works as a host for 'Lifetime Live' on Lifetime Television. Roberts has won an Emmy award and a Clarion award for her reporting. She also wrote and published a non-fiction book, 'Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times', with her husband.
How did Al Roker and Deborah meet?
According to People, the couple first met when Roberts joined NBC's 'Today' in 1990. They started dating in 1992 after Roker seperated from then wife, Alice Bell. On January 1, 1994, Roker proposed Roberts during a business trip to Arizona at the Grand Canyon. They got married on September 16, 1995 at Manhattan's St Thomas Episcopal Church, in front of family and friends.
Who are Al Roker and Deborah's children?
Roker and Deborah have two children together, Leila Roker, 24, and Nicholas Albert Roker, 20. Leila was born on November 17, 1998 in New York and attended LaGuardia High School. She followed her mother's footsteps and persued journalism from the American University of Paris and graduated in May 2021, according to People. She is now a journalist and works in PR. Nicholas was born on 18 July, 2002. According to Roker, Nick is "somewhere on the spectrum and maybe obsessive-compulsive." Nicholas is a black belt in Taekwondo and when the college freshman was 16, he won two gold medals at the Special Olympics New York Summer Games for the 50-yard freestyle swim races and 25-yard butterfly.