Sheinelle Jones Says Al Roker Would Bring Her Kids Breakfast Sandwiches While Husband Was in Hospice

Sheinelle Jones‘ Today colleagues are welcoming her home.

After the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh, in May, Jones sat down with Savannah Guthrie for an intimate conversation that aired Friday, Sept. 5, on the Today show.

“You put the family on your shoulders, you carried him, you never lost that light in your eyes for him,” Guthrie said during their sit-down. “And he never lost that light in his eyes for you.”

During their conversation, Jones opened up for the first time following Ojeh’s death from an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma.

Following the airing of Jones’ pre-taped interview, she joined her Today colleagues back on set and detailed all the ways they were there for her.

“I mean this guy [Al Roker] bringing breakfast sandwiches to my kids while they’re in hospice. This one [Savannah Guthrie] from [Ojeh’s] first surgery, praying with us before he was whisked away to his last moments,” Jones recalled. “This one [Craig Melvin], I read all the text messages, the scripture, the praise and worship. This one, [Dylan Dreyer] talking me off a cliff in hospice.”

She added that she was sent “sweet treats for the kids” from Jenna Bush Hager. “You guys have been my oxygen,” Jones said.

“I hope you felt how missed you were,” Savannah said. “It is just not the same without you, Sheinelle. You’re the heartbeat.”

Jones made another appearance during the 3rd hour alongside Dreyer, Roker and Melvin, all of whom offered her words of support as she got back to work — and presented her with a box full of letters from supportive viewers.

Melvin, 46, shared just how much viewers had been thinking of her.

“The last few months, all of us at this table, anytime we would go anywhere — literally — whether it was the plaza, whether we were flying for a shoot. ‘How’s Sheinelle? When’s Sheinelle [coming]? How’s she doing?’ But what I also found is, people would come up and share their stories of grief,” he said.

“I sent you a picture of a guy from the train who came up and he was like, ‘I lost my partner six months ago to brain cancer and just tell Sheinelle that I’m praying for her, I’m with her.’ And I think you coming back sends a message to everyone who’s lost someone or who’s been through something,” Melvin added. “Everyone who’s had to deal with grief — and that’s all of us. That you can come back. You put one foot in front of the other every day. The folks who are watching and listening right now, a lot of them can relate to you on a different level now.”

Dreyer, 44, called her “such an inspiration,” while Roker, 71, reiterated that she’s been on the minds of Today fans.

“So many people came up and said how much they missed you. And we missed you because we didn’t feel complete here,” Roker said. “You are a part of our family. We each have our own reasons why we missed you.”

In May, Jones’ colleagues announced that Ojeh had died after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Jones and Ojeh share three children together:  Kayin, 16, and twins Clara and Uche, 13. She had been on an extended leave from Today since December 2024.

Jones later shared a clip of the Today show segment to Instagram and wrote, “Thank you, for all of your love and support ❤️.” The entire Today family, including Guthrie, Melvin, Roker, Dreyer, Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb, all attended the funeral service in remembrance of Ojeh.

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During her appearance, she explained why she was returning to work four months after his death.

“Cancer doesn’t have to steal our joy,” Jones said. “We can get up, we can get out of bed, and we can go to work, we can go to school, we can squeeze the most out of the days that we have. And honestly, I feel like Uche’s heartbeat lives on in mine. So I owe it to him to just squeeze the most I can out of this thing.”

She asked viewers to look at her through a different lens, adding, “If you see me now and you see me laughing, or you turn on the morning show and I’m laughing or having a good time, you root for me because I’m fighting for my joy.”