Hoda Kotb’s adopted daughter Haley Joy means the world to her, and in honor of World Adoption Day the proud mother-of-one has opened up about how her little girl has changed her life for the better.
The 53-year-old, who announced Haley Joy’s adoption in February, admitted on Thursday’s episode of the Today show that she never imagined she would be an adoptive mom, but now she couldn’t be happier with her decision.
‘World Adoption Day could have gone by a thousand times, and I would have never blinked an eye,’ she told her co-star Kathie Lee Gifford. ‘Didn’t even think twice about it. Thought, “Good for you,” for people who do it, but never imagined it would end up being such an important part of my world.’
Life-changing: Adoptive mom Hoda Kotb celebrated World Adoption Day with her Today show co-star Kathie Lee Gifford on Thursday
Surprise!The 53-year-old anchor revealed she adopted her daughter Haley Joy during an on-air call with her Today colleagues in February
Look of love: Hoda and her longtime partner Joel Schiffman are raising Haley Joy together
Hoda had always wanted a child, but after battling breast cancer in 2008, just one year after her divorce from her husband Burzis Kanga, she didn’t think it was possible.
Last year she admitted that the one thing missing in her life was a child, and when she broached the subject of adoption with her longtime partner Joel Schiffman, he agreed right away.
The journalist revealed she adopted her daughter during an on-air call with her Today colleagues in February.
‘When you adopt a baby you feel like that child — although they may not be your flesh and blood — you feel that they are yours,’ Hoda explained on Thursday’s show.
Opening up: Hoda admitted that she never imagined becoming an adoptive mom would end up being such an important part of her world
Celebration: Hoda and Kathie Lee had smiley faces drawn on their palms, the symbol for World Adoption Day
Hoda went on to praise the birth moms ‘who make a very generous decision’ to put their children up for adoption while sharing her thoughts on how being adopted will affect nine-month-old Haley in the future.
‘I just was thinking about her life ahead,’ she said. ‘I know a lot of people worry when they adopt, like what will happen when. I just feel like that’s part of what makes her so special. It’s awesome.’
Kathie Lee, 64, agreed that although it must be incredibly difficult to put your child up for adoption, knowing that the child is in a loving home makes it worth it.
‘It’s probably the ultimate form of love,’ Hoda added.
Happy as can be: Hoda and Joel took little Haley Joy trick-or-treating in New York City last week for her first Halloween
Too cute: Although Hoda bought Haley multiple costumes, she ended up dressing her as a fluffy white bunny
Doting mom: ‘When you adopt a baby you feel like that child — although they may not be your flesh and blood — you feel that they are yours,’ Hoda said of adopting Haley
At the end of the segment, Hoda and Kathie Lee had smiley faces drawn on their palms, the symbol for World Adoption Day.
‘Imagine if just 18 million people out there just decided to adopt a child. There would be not one child looking for a family in the whole world,’ Kathlie Lee said.
Like most new moms, Hoda loves sharing stories about her little girl, and last week she revealed that she and Joel took her to visit her Sameha Kotb over the weekend.
Hoda explained that even though Joel had to spend the weekend on a pullout couch and Haley didn’t sleep well while they were away, he still declared himself the ‘happiest man in the world’ after the family trip.
Happy baby: The journalist proudly shares photos of Haley on social media
Touched: Hoda recently revealed that Joel told her he is the ‘happiest man in the world’ after they enjoyed a weekend getaway to her mother’s house
‘We were on the train ride home, and I am sitting and holding Haley and Joel is over there,’ she recalled. ‘Joel looks at me and said, “This weekend.” And I said, “Yeah.”
‘He said, “It’s how I know I am the happiest man in the world.”‘
Hoda said she was so touched she ‘literally was weeping on the train’ because most guys would have had a different reaction to their family time.
The mother-of-one added that her mom was doting on Joel and cooking for him, which made it a ‘fun little cozied up weekend.’