Al Roker Says He’s ‘Glad to Be Alive’ as He Celebrates 69th Birthday with His Family and First Grandchild

Al Roker is “more than grateful” as he celebrates his 69th birthday with his family and new granddaughter.

On Sunday, the TODAY co-anchor kicked off “another trip around the sun” by posting an Instagram video of himself on a nature walk, expressing how glad he is to be alive after last year’s health problems.

“This is my 69th anniversary of orbiting the sun,” Roker began. “And after everything I went through at the end of last year, I am more than grateful.”

Al Roker/Instagram

Roker, who beat prostate cancer in 2020, suffered new health issues last November when he woke up in the middle of the night with severe stomach pains. His internist determined that he had blood clots in his lungs and Roker was released after treatment — but was soon readmitted to the hospital for a 7-hour surgery.

It turned out that the bleeding was due to a perforation in his duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. His medical team repaired it, resectioned part of his colon and removed his gallbladder.

“I’m blessed to be alive,” he told PEOPLE exclusively at the time. He thanked his wife Deborah on Sunday for “getting him out of the hospital.”

Al Roker Opens Up About His Health Crisis: ‘I Am Blessed to Be Alive’

A little over six months later, on July 3, Roker was able to experience the joy of becoming a first-time grandfather. “I could look into this face all day,” he captioned his first post of Sky Clara later that month.

In a new photo posted on Sunday, the TV personality held his granddaughter, who was dressed in a red onesie with a white bow around her head.

“Best #birthdaypresent,” Roker captioned the photo of his 36-year-old daughter Courtney’s first baby.

Al Roker/Instagram

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Roker and his family had dinner at Bimi’s Canteen & Bar in Hudson, New York, where the weatherman has a home with his wife Deborah Roberts, 62. Then they took their son Nicholas, 21, to college.

“Back to the #emptynest after dropping our young man at college for sophomore year,” he wrote next to a photo with Deborah and Nicholas. The couple also shares a third child, Leila, 24.

Al Roker/Instagram

Shortly after Sky was born, Roker spoke with Today co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones about becoming a grandparent. “It is magical, it really is,” he said.

“The thing is, everyone tells you it’s going to be ‘this thing’ and you don’t know; it’s like when they tell you about having your first child. And then to hold this little girl, knowing almost 35 years ago I held her mom? And here she is, 5 lbs., 15 oz. 19 inches long and she’s just perfect.”

“I’m telling you, she’s a great sleeper,” he added of Sky. “Sleeps for four hours, wakes up, goes to the bathroom, sleeps another four. We’re on the same schedule!”

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Source: HIS Education