Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie will always have a special bond.
The former Today anchor, 60, recalled a sweet moment the pair shared during a recent outing, while chatting exclusively with Parade ahead of Kotb taking on Washington D.C. to advocate for the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act on Tuesday, April 29.
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“I just had coffee with Savannah. It was one hour in that one-hour period of time,” Kotb says. “We laughed, we cried. We literally were crying at this coffee shop across from 30 Rock and holding hands. And she said, ‘What do you miss the most?’ And I said, ‘I miss this. I miss this.'”
Though Kotb exited Today in January after 17 years with the show, the I Really Needed This Today author has kept herself busy, focusing on passion projects as well as her advocacy.
On Tuesday, she joined more than 200 patients and representatives from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Novartis to advocate for improved access to life-saving breast cancer screenings and diagnostic tests. The newly introduced ABCD Act aims to reduce financial barriers to care by requiring private health plans, including high-deductible plans, to fully cover the cost of diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging.
Kotb, a breast cancer survivor herself, tells Parade that the opportunity to use her platform to help create change is something that “means everything” to her.
“When I was diagnosed back in 2007, the number of people who I met who were breast cancer survivors — I was always looking for someone who was on the other side,” she explains. “And I think that was what was giving me comfort. Like, oh, that’s what life can be. Once this part’s over, I could be like her. I could have that kind of confidence. And I think the idea that you just need multiple tests in order to get a clear and concise diagnosis [is] one of those things that should be [a] given to me. How is it possible that all of that testing isn’t affordable and available when the result is life-threatening if you don’t get the tests?”
She adds: “For me, standing with this group is really empowering. I mean, it’s a sea of pink. It’s a bunch of awesome people. And look, when it’s personal, it’s personal. That’s when you’re going to really stand up and stand up for something.”
Molly Guthrie — who serves as the VP of Policy and Advocacy at the Susan G. Komen Foundation and joined Kotb for Parade‘s exclusive interview — reiterated the importance of having improved access to life-saving tests by sharing a personal story of her own.
Related: Hoda Kotb Reveals How She’ll Still Appear on TV With ’Today’ After Her Exit (Exclusive)
“My mom was actually a breast cancer survivor and was diagnosed during my time working at Susan G. Komen. But having that firsthand experience and knowing that the steps that she had to go through, even though she had comprehensive insurance coverage, she could pay for the diagnostic imaging, she was fortunate to have an earlier diagnosis,” she says. “It really clarifies the point of how stressful it must be for patients that don’t have that, people that are having to make the decision between paying for their groceries or getting this imaging done so that they can get an earlier diagnosis.”
Audiences can get involved by visiting YourAttentionPlease.com, to learn more and sign a letter urging legislators to support the ABCD Act.
