Earl Albert, right, donated a huge Norway spruce tree to be the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The family of the widower Earl Albert who donated this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is giving an update of his health after he suffered a stroke.
Due to his health, Earl Albert wasn’t able to attend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting on Dec. 4. His family, who did attend the tree lighting ceremony, appeared on TODAY Dec. 5 to reflect on the recent events.
"He's doing OK," Earl Albert's daughter-in-law, Shawn, said of Earl Albert's health. "He's at Sunnyview Rehab so he's working towards strength and wellness."
In an interview with NBC’s Joe Fryer that aired on TODAY Dec. 5, Shawn Albert explained he's still got some "medical hurdles to get over."
Instead of attending the event in person, Earl Albert watched the event on TV. Shawn Albert noted on TODAY that Earl Albert had a “little watch party” in his room for the occasion.
"He had his room decked out. He had his Santa hat on and my son FaceTimed with him, so he was able to sort of be here," she said.
Earl Albert has also received "thousands" of holiday get-well letters from fans.
Shawn Albert's husband and Earl Albert's son, Michael, added that going to the tree lighting ceremony in person was an unforgettable experience.
"It was an overwhelming emotion of joy. It was a tribute to my mother's life. Just the giving back and the loving nature of her. It was like our way to kind of give to the world. It's awesome," he said.
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In an interview with Fryer that aired in early November, Earl Albert revealed why the holidays are so special for him.
He explained that he planted this year's Christmas tree in 1967 at his home in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, shortly after he and his late wife, Leslie Albert, got married.
Then, a few days after she died in 2020, Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze, knocked on the Albert's family door to ask if they would be interested in donating their tree for the holiday season.
“This is definitely her handiwork,” Shawn Albert said in the interview.
Earl Albert added that donating the tree is “probably one of the greatest honors” of his life.
He noted that attending the tree lighting ceremony was going to be very special for him because he'll be thinking about Leslie Albert and "how much she enjoyed trees" and Christmastime.
This story originally appeared on Today.com. Read more from Today:
