Kathie Lee Gifford is opening up about the hardest year of her health journey - and the faith that carried her through it.
The longtime TODAY show host and Christian author told People that a string of medical setbacks, beginning with a misdiagnosed hip issue, left her in what she called "debilitating" pain for nearly a year before doctors discovered her hip had deteriorated badly.
A total hip replacement led to a fracture and a second surgery, followed by a broken arm, another broken bone from a fall, and cataract surgery - one complication compounding the next.
At her lowest point, Gifford says she prayed to "go home" to Jesus. "I've had emotional pain many times in my life, but never this chronic physical pain where you literally want to go home to Jesus," she said. She was careful to clarify the nature of that longing: "I wanted to die a few times. I wasn't going to hurt myself. I wasn't going to kill myself. I just didn't want to be here - as blessed as I am."
Gifford, 72, has often spoken about leaning on her faith during life's hardest seasons, including the loss of her husband, NFL legend Frank Gifford, in 2015.
She recalled his words to her before he passed - that he wanted people to remember him as himself, fully - and said it shaped how she pushed through her own recovery without wanting to disappoint the people who love her.
Today, after months of stem cell therapy and physical therapy six days a week, Gifford says she's reclaiming her life - including the ability to keep up with her five grandchildren. "I'm hoping, Lord willing, that I have many, many years with them," she said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.
