Hoda Kotb and Al Roker are a familiar source of stability for viewers of the Today Show each morning, although that changed when both stepped away from the studio mid-show.
In the first half hour of Monday's show, Savannah Guthrie revealed that Sheinelle Jones would be joining her and Craig Melvin on the desk for the rest of the show, with Dylan Dreyer taking over for the weather.
"Something special is happening as we speak," the 51-year-old teased as the camera then included a shot of her two co-hosts outside the Today lot near waiting vans.
"They're hitting the road for a good reason!" she revealed, then panning over to the two who excitedly shared that in honor of National Nurses Week, they would be heading out to honor some of the healthcare professionals.
"We are going to show our appreciation for the nurses at a couple of area hospitals," she said, with Al adding: "In fact we're going to deliver big in-person thank yous to the hundreds of nurses who shine day in and day out."
The two then got incredibly hyped out with 58-year-old Hoda waving goodbye to her hosts and saying: "We love y'all, but we're busy," and Al, 68, whooped his way into a waiting vehicle as they kicked off their trip.
Savannah quipped that it was literally like "sending sunshine their way," with Craig later joking: "Imagine you're at work and you see Hoda Kotb and Al Roker show up," and there was nothing but positivity to go around.
When the segment began later in the show, Hoda shared that it was part of their ongoing initiative titled "TODAY's Heroes," sharing in the joy of all the cheering healthcare workers behind her as she and Al visited two local hospitals in New York City.
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Hoda even orchestrated an emotional reunion between a group of nurses and one of the patients they cared for, a newborn and her parents who were separated for 130 days when she was born prematurely.
Al meanwhile shared the stories of two specific nurses who had fought through the odds in their professions, including one who had been diagnosed with breast cancer while continuing to care for her patients.
This would be a particular tear-jerker of a moment for Hoda, who dealt with a bout of breast cancer herself and a resulting mastectomy, which has been open about.
Speaking with co-anchor Jenna Bush Hager on the Fourth Hour of Today last year of her changing body, she stated: "You don’t realize how long the journey is.
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"I remember really clearly, after my cancer surgery – I did a surgery where it was a mastectomy, but they also did a hip-to-hip incision to do some moving things around – but anyway, I remember, afterwards, having to get washed in the hospital."
© Getty ImagesShe continued: "I hadn't seen (the scarring), because I just hadn't looked at it. A nurse came in to help me and she stood me in front of the mirror, and I was horrified."
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"You know when you look, and you're like, 'That's me now?! Like, this is the body for the rest of my life that's going to carry me through?'" she continued. "You don’t see it as: The cancer is gone. Right then, that moment, you see it as this horrible thing."
Check out more photos of the Today Show hosts in their element below:
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