After years of infertility struggles, Today's weekend anchor Kristen Welker, alongside husband John Hughes, announced that they're expecting a bundle of joy.
The daytime television anchor shared the big news during an episode of the show on Friday, April 23.
"After years and years of trying, I'm having a baby girl with John and we are so excited," the anchor stated. "It's with the help of a surrogate."
The announcement came during Infertlity Awareness Week, as the couple hopes their personal story will give other families a glimmer of hope. Welker also opened up about the struggles she and her husband faced while trying to conceive.
"I was 40 years old when I married John in March 2017. And we immediately started to try to have a baby," Welker, now 44, shared. "It didn't work immediately. So we thought, ‘Let's just go to a doctor as a precaution. And I thought, ‘OK, well, let's fix it. There has to be something that we can do to fix this."
During the couple's journey, Welker also shared she penned an emotional letter to her unborn daughter about her true feelings during the process—revealing she broke down in tears before walking into work one day. As she wrote, "I felt as though I had let you down because I couldn't carry you myself."
But now when it comes to her experience with surrogacy, the journalist reveled in the positivity of her journey, sharing, "Being matched with a surrogate is one of the most extraordinary experiences I have ever had."
The White House correspondent recently gained national praise when she moderated the 2020 Presidential debate by maintaining a poised stance throughout the nail-biting event. And for that, Welker gives credit to her baby for helping her remain focused.
"I can't wait to tell my daughter that," she said on Today. "I credit her with the fact that I remained calm that night."
When it comes to sharing her experiences with their baby girl, the host also shared that she simply can't wait until that time comes. "All of the tears and the sadness and the setbacks were worth it because she's worth it," Welker noted. "And we cannot wait for that day when we can actually meet her and hug her and hold her."
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