Jenna Bush Hager’s Voice Breaks as She Describes Dropping Off Daughters at Texas Summer Camp

While news from Camp Mystic, the storied Texas sleepaway camp that has been devastated by last week’s flood, continues to dominate the news, Jenna Bush Hager revealed that she dropped her daughters off at a similar Texas sleepaway camp over the weekend.

“My kids got dropped off at camp yesterday, at another camp in Texas, and putting them on the bus, saying goodbye to them …” Jenna said at the beginning of TODAY with Jenna & Friends on July 7, her voice halting with emotion at times.

Last year was the first year that both of Jenna’s daughters, Mila, 12, and Poppy, 9, attended sleep-away camp together. Their camp is the same one her mom attended as a child, and Jenna has called it “a rite of passage.”

But the experience hits differently this year.

“We think about the horror of sending our kids to a place that that is supposed to be — and is — healing and fun and joyful, and all the things that kids deserve to have, and then for something like this to happen,” Jenna said.

“And I know so many parents whose kids are at camp or going to camp feel that way,” she continued. “We send our kids into the world with the faith that they can have happy lives, joyful lives. And as adults, we know pain. We hope that our kids never face it.”

Jenna and husband Henry Hager are also parents to son Hal, who is 5.

Cohost Dwyane Wade added, “As parents, there are certain places that we send our kids, and we feel those are the places of safety for them — the school and camps — because we know the growth and evolution that happens at these these places, but tragedy also occurs.”

“Texas is a resilient, incredible state,” Jenna said. “You all know I’m a homesick Texan living in New York, and it always is in my heart. And we know that so many of you want to help, and are helping.”

Jenna has a special family connection to Camp Mystic.

“My mom was a counselor there, but also so many of my friends were raised at this camp,” Jenna said. “Texas camps are institutions, as you just heard, where were many family members — generations — this camp was 100 years old, so grandmothers, mothers, kids have all gone there.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com