TODAY host Hoda Kotb fought back tears while surprising a mother-daughter nursing duo with a serenade from country singer Blake Shelton.
New Orleans nursing assistant Bridgette Robinson, 54, battled coronavirus last month, while her daughter Sylvia continued her work as a nurse in the same hospital.
The Ochsner North Shore nurse carried on with caring for COVID-19 patients as her mom spent weeks on a ventilator because of the same virus.
Hoda wanted to do something special for the two women on the front lines, which is why she invited them to be on Today during National Nurses Week and surprised them with a song from Blake, bringing everyone to tears.
After Sylvia attributed her mom beating coronavirus to “God, prayers and her fight for life,” Blake appeared in the virtual chat room to perform a fitting rendition of God Gave Me You.
As the Voice judge strummed his guitar and sang the lyrics of the song, Bridgette became emotional and started crying, catching her tears with a tissue.
Host Hoda was right there with her and had tears filling her eyes, with a stray one trickling out and her wiping it away with her hand.
Blake told the mother and daughter: “Everything about this disease, I mean, you guys are out there on the front lines fighting it, and now you’re a survivor of it.
“And you’ve got each other, and that’s really what this is all about.”
He continued: “The whole time I heard you guys talking, and you keep throwing it back to God, and I love hearing you say that.
“I want to dedicate this song from me to you guys as nurses, and being there on the front lines, and I think this song really speaks to your relationship with each other if you ask me.”
Before Blake popped in, Hoda, who lived in New Orleans for many years, spoke with the duo from the city about what it was like going through such an intense situation.
Sylvia shared during the interview, which aired on NBC News’ TODAY on Thursday morning: “It definitely was scary and heartbreaking. Especially the fact that she’s my best friend.”
Bridgette added: “It was really hard. The only thing I remember is waking up and hearing my grandson on Facebook telling me that he needs me.
“[Saying], ’Grandma, don’t leave me. I love you, I need you.’”
Last month, Hoda surprised a widow with a phone call and found herself in tears while celebrating the woman’s 74th birthday just months after her husband’s death.
A week before that, the morning show host officiated a virtual wedding for a couple whose original plans were affected by the pandemic, and she got emotional as the duo slow-danced to their first song.
