When Hoda Kotb sat down to write her latest children’s book, she never expected that one of its most important readers would be her own daughter.

The long-time Today show co-host, author, and cancer survivor has always believed in the power of storytelling, especially when it comes to addressing life’s most difficult topics.

But nothing quite prepared her for the moment her 8-year-old daughter, Haley, learned about her mother’s past battle with breast cancer—through the pages of her new book.

In recent interviews promoting the release, Kotb shared the emotional story of how Haley, curious and bright, came across a passage in the book that referenced a character who had faced cancer.

The character, inspired by Kotb’s real-life experience, was meant to be a subtle nod to resilience, designed to encourage young readers navigating tough times. But to Haley, the discovery struck closer to home than expected. “Mommy,” she had asked one night, book in hand, “did you ever have something like this?”

Kotb, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and has since become a vocal advocate for cancer awareness and early detection, says she had always intended to tell her daughters about her health history—but wasn’t sure when the “right” moment would be.

“I thought I had more time,” she confessed. “I thought it would come up in a few years, maybe when she was a little older. But children are intuitive. They read between the lines, even when we think they aren’t ready.”

The conversation that followed was tender and honest. Kotb recalls sitting with Haley in her room, the book between them, as she gently explained what had happened. She told her about the surgery, the treatments, the fear, and ultimately, the gratitude she now holds for every healthy day.

“I told her the truth,” Kotb said. “That I was scared, that I didn’t know what was going to happen, but that I got better. And that the doctors helped, and that love helped, too.”

That evening, Kotb said, Haley didn’t cry or panic. Instead, she hugged her mother tightly and asked a simple question: “Are you okay now?” When Kotb reassured her that she was, Haley smiled and said, “Then that’s all that matters.”

It was a moment that made Kotb reflect not just on her journey with cancer, but on the importance of openness, especially within families. “Sometimes we think we’re protecting our kids by keeping hard things from them,” she said.

“But what we’re really doing is keeping them from knowing who we truly are.” She added that while there are certainly age-appropriate ways to share difficult truths, honesty builds trust—and trust fosters emotional security.

Kotb’s decision to write the book had originally stemmed from a desire to explore the themes of strength and connection. Like her previous titles, this one combines simple storytelling with profound emotional truths.

While the book doesn’t explicitly detail her cancer experience, the character’s journey mirrors it closely enough that Haley, a strong reader and a curious soul, picked up on the deeper message.

In crafting the story, Kotb drew not just from her own life, but from the lives of many women she has met over the years—women who have faced illness, uncertainty, and fear, yet continued to parent, work, and live with extraordinary grace.

“I wanted to write something that honored that resilience,” she explained. “Something that told kids, ‘Yes, hard things happen. But people get through them. And they still love you with their whole hearts.’”

The unexpected conversation with Haley has since sparked wider discussions in Kotb’s household about health, courage, and what it means to face something scary and come out the other side.

Kotb, who adopted Haley in 2017 and later adopted a second daughter, Hope, has always embraced motherhood with an open heart and an open door. But she admits that facing such a deeply personal topic with her child brought a new level of vulnerability.

“It’s one thing to tell your story to millions of people on television,” she said. “It’s another thing entirely to tell it to your child, knowing they might worry, knowing they might feel afraid. But it’s also healing.

It’s a kind of full-circle moment. Because you realize that the very life you fought so hard to hold onto is now sitting next to you, asking questions, loving you.”

Fans and readers have responded warmly to Kotb’s honesty, praising her for modeling how to talk to children about illness and healing. Many parents have written in to say the book opened doors for their own families to discuss health challenges, loss, or emotional trauma.

Kotb says that while she didn’t set out to create a “teaching tool,” she’s deeply touched that the story is resonating in that way. “If it helps even one parent find the words, then it was worth it,” she said.

The response has also sparked conversations on the Today show, where Kotb’s colleagues shared their own experiences navigating similar talks with their children.

The moment has served as a reminder that everyone has a story—often filled with pain, perseverance, and unexpected beauty—and that telling those stories can be transformative not only for others but for ourselves.

Kotb hopes that in sharing her personal journey, she’s helping destigmatize conversations around illness, especially in families. “There’s a way to talk about these things without scaring our kids,” she said. “There’s a way to be honest and gentle at the same time. And most of the time, they handle it better than we think they will.”

Looking back, Kotb doesn’t regret the way Haley found out. “I wouldn’t have chosen it to happen that way, but maybe it was exactly right,” she said. “She discovered it through something I made, something filled with love. And now she knows a little more about who her mom is.”

The experience has strengthened their bond in unexpected ways. Haley now asks more questions, shows more interest in her mother’s life before she became a parent, and even talks about wanting to write her own book one day. “She told me she wants to write stories that help people feel better,” Kotb said, smiling. “I told her that’s the best reason there is.”

As for the future, Kotb says she’ll continue to write books that explore the full range of life’s joys and challenges. “There’s so much more to say,” she noted. “About love, about fear, about growing up and growing stronger. And I’ll keep telling those stories—for my daughters, and for anyone who needs to hear them.”

In the end, The Pickle Jar Pact may have been about fictional characters navigating hard truths, but for Kotb and Haley, it became something more: a bridge between past and present, between a mother’s battle and a daughter’s understanding. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the stories we write end up telling us more than we expected—and connecting us in ways that last forever.