Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie had a lot of questions when their fellow NBC colleague shared his terrifying ordeal on Today on May 11.
The hosts both appeared animated as they chatted to news correspondent, Morgan Chesky, 37, about an incident he described as "absolutely frightening" which could have led to a cardiac arrest.
“I could have never imagined a trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks in Utah would end on oxygen in an ICU,” he said as he opened up on Today.
Morgan - a seasoned hiker - was on a hiking trip to celebrate his birthday when he began to feel unwell while walking with his uncle, Eric.
He noticed his nephew wasn't picking up the pace like he normally does and "watched him like a hawk" because of it.
The following day, Morgan felt even worse as he set off for another hike and he couldn't catch his breath. He felt lightheaded and weak, with a skyrocketing pulse.
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Morgan confessed he was very worried as his father died of a heart attack at the age of 48.
His uncle rushed him off to the ER and he was diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) — a severe form of high-altitude illness, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Thankfully, after receiving medical care and returning to a lower elevation, Morgan recovered and is forever grateful to Eric for taking him to seek treatment.
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If left untreated, a person can pass out from lack of oxygen or go into cardiac arrest. Hoda and Savannah were also thankful to discover their colleague had recovered - and he had some more good news too.
© Getty ImagesThey took the opportunity to present him with a gift as his wife is expecting a baby. Dylan Dreyer came into the studio and presented him with a hamper which he was thrilled about as he asked his unborn child to hold out for him to come home before she was born.
The Today hosts are used to emotional moments on-air and this week they all welled up as they spoke about motherhood ahead of Mother's Day.
Some of the most emotional recollections came from the hosts' own journeys to becoming moms, with Savannah, 51, and Hoda, 58, living through their difficult paths to parenthood.
© Getty ImagesSavannah and husband Michael Feldman are parents to Vale, eight, and Charley, six, while Hoda adopted her two daughters Haley, six, and Hope, three, with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.
Jenna Bush Hager also joined in the conversation and said she was grateful to her mother, former First Lady Laura Bush, and spoke highly of her role as a grandmother to her three children, Mila, 10, Poppy, seven, and Hal, three.
See photos of Hoda, Savannah and Jenna's adorable families below.
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