“Today” show host Sheinelle Jones held back tears as she thanked the hospice workers who cared for her husband, Uche Ojeh, in the final months of his life—before surprising them with a lavish trip to Cabo.
Jones, 47, who lost her husband to brain cancer in May, shared the emotional moment during a Feb. 4 segment of “Today With Jenna & Sheinelle,” revealing that the date was also Ojeh’s birthday, the first she had marked since his passing.
To honor his memory, the on-air host made a trip to the Hudson Valley Hospice to meet with the staff members who had cared for Ojeh, recalling how they went above and beyond to ensure that her entire family felt cared for.
“By the time we got to the end, we almost had this quiet little tribe of folks we felt were rooting for us, and kind of fell in love with our family. Things happened so fast in the end that I just haven’t had a chance to say thank you,” she said.
Breaking down in tears, Jones continued, “Honestly, the only reason I even have the strength to talk about it, is because I believe they are heroes. For them to take on your family as their own, they deserve all the love and attention we can give them. I will talk about it because these folks are angels here on Earth.”
The TV personality noted that she was especially thankful to the workers for creating a safe space for her family outside of their own home, where they could say goodbye to Ojeh.
She also recalled the message she was greeted with when she walked through the doors: “You’re not here to die. You’re here to live, and we’re gonna give you the best days that you have left.”
Jones then praised the nurses for making “the end feel easier to carry,” adding that they “surrounded me and cared for me in the lowest of lows.”
The TV star then gifted each of the nurses with an all-expenses-paid vacation for two to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.
“Can you think of a better gift for Uche than giving to them?” co-host Jenna Bush Hager asked.
Jones added, “I literally picture Uche up there, like, ‘We love you guys so much,’ and the fact that this just happened to be on his birthday, there you go. His birthday gift to you guys.”
The TV host also opened up about the struggle with celebrating her husband’s first birthday since his death.
“I’ve just been so busy that I think I’ve underestimated how tough this one would be, and in some ways it’s harder than Thanksgiving and Christmas because you know those are coming and everybody knows it with you. So you’re fortified with love and calls. But this is one of those where it’s just kind of this tribe and people in our family,” she admitted.
In an emotional interview with People, Jones previously lifted the lid on the misconception that she is doing better now that she is back on air, while revealing how she is helping her children—Kayin, 16, and twins Clara and Uche, 13—get through the pain of losing their dad.
“People see me on TV, and they think, ‘Oh, she’s better.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, no, no. I’m not better,’” she admitted. “Every day, it’s like swimming through mud. I’ve had to really do the work. Empathy is my superpower now, and I recognize that I hold two things: I hold my grief, and I also hold this joy. I said it months ago, and I’ll say it now: I am fighting for my joy.”
Jones took an extended break from the hit NBC morning show while her husband was undergoing treatment, announcing in January that she would be absent from screens, explaining at the time that she was dealing with a family health matter.
The mother of three announced four months later that her husband of nearly 20 years had died.
Though Jones did not appear on the “Today” show to announce the news of her husband’s death, her co-host Savannah Guthrie shared the devastating development with viewers in an on-air statement.
“With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our dear friend and ‘Today’ co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,” Guthrie told viewers at the time.
“There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him.”
Jones officially returned to her role as the co-host of the third hour of “Today” later that month.
Jones and Ojeh tied the knot in 2007 and were living together at a stunning property in Livingston Manor, NY, when the “Today” host stepped back from her hosting duties to support her husband.
The couple are understood to have purchased the dwelling for just under $1.4 million in December 2020.
The home offers 4,762 square feet of living space on 53 acres with a “large stocked pond” and an in-ground heated pool, according to its original listing description.
Inside the property, there is a library, a formal dining room, and an enormous primary suite, in addition to a four-bedroom, two-bath guesthouse.
It’s thought that Jones and her family moved into the home after returning from a five-month getaway in South Carolina, where they quarantined during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, the “Today” host voiced her excitement at the prospect of beginning a “new adventure,” while gushing about the time that she and her loved ones had been able to spend isolating in such a picturesque location.
Although Jones and her husband owned a property outside of New York City, they did live in a Manhattan apartment at one point—with the on-air personality proudly sharing the space in a story posted on Today.com.
She explained to the online outlet that she fell in love with the home’s high ceilings, corner window, and hardwood floors, having moved into the home after their family relocated from Philadelphia when she landed the role on “Today.”