Al Roker and his wife Deborah Roberts have finally revealed the developmental challenges their 15-year-old son Nicholas has faced.
The 63-year-old Today show host and his ABC News journalist wife opened up to People at the 2018 ADAPT Leadership Awards Gala in New York on Thursday.
‘He was dealing with some developmental delays,’ they told the magazine, before Deborah got more detailed.
Opening up: Al Roker and his wife Deborah Roberts have finally revealed the developmental challenges their 15-year-old son Nicholas has faced
‘There has been a stigma over the years, especially if it’s not an obvious challenge that people know, and I think to be able to share and inspire and to give other people the encouragement, I think that life can be enriched and can be better and can be in some ways richer when you are loving and supporting and dealing with somebody who is dealing with challenges.’
She added that ‘we hope that more people will be open to expressing and maybe sharing that a lot of us are dealing with challenges in life.’
The journalist went on to describe how her son’s challenges started to materialize almost immediately after his birth.
‘It was pretty apparent that he was facing some challenges,’ she explained ‘and we weren’t sure what his world and what our future would be.’
Real talk: The journalist went on to describe how her son’s challenges started to materialize almost immediately after his birth (pictured back in June 2007)
But they soon put together a team including therapists and specialists who were instrumental in his growth. ‘We watched him blossom,’ she added.
The 57-year-old also discussed the anxiety that her and her husband felt after he was born.
‘We wondered was he going to speak? Was he going to walk,’ she said, before getting more positive, describing how ‘in no time, he was running and talking more than I thought he would ever do.
All together! Al and Deborah also share 20-year-old daughter Leila (family pictured in March 2009)
Weatherman Al also added that Donald Trump’s divisive comments were not helpful when it came to motivating people and helping people accept his son.
‘There’s been a lot of talk about building big, beautiful walls,’ he said, ‘well, we have to tear down those walls, tear them down, make them nice.’
Al and Deborah also share 20-year-old daughter Leila.
Being positive! Weatherman Al also added that Donald Trump’s divisive comments were not helpful when it came to motivating people and helping people accept his son