As heartbreaking updates continue to emerge from Camp Mystic—the historic Texas sleepaway camp devastated by last week’s catastrophic floods—Jenna Bush Hager revealed on TODAY with Jenna & Friends that she had just sent her own daughters off to a similar camp in Texas.
“My kids got dropped off at camp yesterday, at another camp in Texas,” Jenna said during the July 7 broadcast, her voice catching with emotion. “Putting them on the bus, saying goodbye to them…”
This summer marks the second time both Mila, 12, and Poppy, 9, are attending sleepaway camp together. The camp they go to holds special meaning: it’s the same one Jenna’s mother attended as a child, a tradition Jenna has previously described as “a rite of passage.”
But this year, the experience carries a much heavier emotional weight.
“We think about the horror of sending our kids to a place that is supposed to be — and is — healing and fun and joyful, and all the things that kids deserve to have,” Jenna said. “And then for something like this to happen…”
She acknowledged that many parents across the country are grappling with similar fears. “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 her husband, Henry Hager, are also parents to son Hal, 5.
Her cohost, Dwyane Wade, echoed the sentiment. “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 places. But tragedy also occurs.”
Jenna reflected on the spirit and resilience of her home state. “Texas is a resilient, incredible state. 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.”
She also noted her personal connection to Camp Mystic, the flood-ravaged camp where more than two dozen campers and counselors are among the over 100 people confirmed dead.
“My mom was a counselor there,” she said. “And so many of my friends were raised at this camp. Texas camps are institutions — generations of families have gone there. This one was 100 years old. Grandmothers, mothers, kids — all part of the same tradition.”
As Texas grieves, Jenna’s words served as both a tribute to the lives lost and a reminder of the enduring strength of the families and communities affected.
