Hoda Kotb Shares Inspirational Message With More Than 400 People at AtlantiCare’s Seventh Annual Breast Health Signature Event

New York Times best-selling author, award-winning broadcast journalist and breast cancer survivor Hoda Kotb shared her personal survivor story with more than 400 people at the AtlantiCare Women’ s Health & Wellness Seventh Annual Breast Health Signature Event October 21 at the Sheraton Atlantic City.
Kotb, whose book Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee, was named to the New York Times Best Seller list last week.
Kotb spoke of her career as a journalist including her work co-hosting the fourth hour of NBC’ s Today. She told attendees the encouragement she received when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 helped her heal. She described how a fellow passenger on a plane convinced her to share her story publicly. “ I’ m the kind of person – when I get through things, I’ m done with it,” she explained. She said she was grateful to this stranger, who made her realize she could help others. She added, “ Women who have been through things that I’ ve been through and ten times worse than what I’ ve been through…they help me a million times more than I think I help them.”
Kotb said of her breast cancer experience, “ I learned that my life has margins and that it’ s to be valued and not wasted. I don’ t lug around people who aren’ t great for me any more. I hold on so tightly to the ones I love.”
When a member of the audience asked Kotb about a piece of her jewelry, Kotb responded, “ I wear a ring every day and it says ‘ forward’ on it. I journal a lot. At the bottom of every page I would write the word ‘ forward’ to remind myself, ‘ Don’ t get stuck in the wings….You’ ve got to keep moving.’ Because sometimes it’ s easy to get stuck,” said Kotb. “ I learned that if you survive breast cancer, or anything it doesn’ t have to be this it can be anything – another loss or a divorce or something that’ s really difficult, if you’ re still standing at the end, even if you’ re teetery, you get four words. You get ‘ You can’ t scare me’ .”
Kotb closed her remarks by holding her IPod up to the microphone and blaring Redbone’ s Come and Get Your Love, inviting the crowd to dance and celebrate surviving cancer and other obstacles with her. She then signed copies of her book, putting aside her pen several times to pose for pictures and accept – and give – hugs.
AtlantiCare also recognized Ginny Blades, founder of the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament as its 2010 AtlantiCare Breast Health Moonbaby honoree. Sales of the “ Ginny” Moonbaby pin will benefit programs and services at the AtlantiCare Cancer Care Institute, a Fox Chase Cancer Center Partner.