Pat Sajak’s Daughter Reveals He Had a ‘Terrifying’ ‘Life-and-Death Situation’ 7 Years Ago: ‘Scariest Day of My Life’

Ereine Marie Aspera Tue, November 10, 2026 at 12:24 PM UTC

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Maggie Sajak recalled her dad Pat Sajak’s frightening 2019 medical emergency. BY: MEGA; @MAGGIESAJAK/INSTAGRAM

Maggie Sajak is looking back on a terrifying day — when her father, Pat Sajak, faced a medical emergency that sent him straight to surgery.

On Sunday, November 8, the Wheel of Fortune social media correspondent shared the emotional story, recalling the 2019 incident, which began during what seemed like a “normal morning walk” with her father, 80, in Los Angeles.

“Seven years ago today was the scariest day of my life, but it also turned out to be one of the most important,” Maggie said in an Instagram Reel.

She recounted, “It was a normal day. I was in Los Angeles with my parents, and my dad was set to tape Wheel that day. My dad and I love to go on walks together.”

Pat Sajak Needed Emergency Surgery in 2019

At the time, Maggie thought “everything was business as usual.”

However, she said that “by the time we got home, my dad was experiencing a lot of abdominal pain.”

“He’s not a big complainer, so my mom and I knew something was going on,” she shared.

“Thank goodness that we did because it turns out we were actually in a life-and-death situation,” she shared about bringing her father to the emergency room. “He was experiencing an intestinal blockage, and he needed emergency surgery. It was terrifying. There is no other way around it. It was absolutely terrifying, but thankfully it wasn’t a sign of something more serious underlying.”

The Experience Changed Maggie’s Perspective on Family

Although the experience was deeply upsetting, Maggie said it also changed the way she looked at life. She described the ordeal as an “out-of-body experience” and reflected on the lessons she carried with her afterward.

“The first silver lining is that experience put literally everything in my life in perspective,” she explained. “At that moment, all that mattered was my family, my loved ones, and our health. I remember so vividly sitting in my dad’s hospital room and watching the news about what was happening to my dad.”

“It really just made me realize that what matters is what’s going on in that hospital room. What’s going on with my dad and my family at that time. I’d like to think that that’s something that I held on to. I realized how important it is to spend time with your family and with your loved ones, and to never apologize for it,” she added. “I really prioritize spending time with my family. I am so thankful that I have, because we’ve had so many incredible times. And that brings me to the next silver lining. About a week after my dad had surgery, he was healing well. But it wasn’t medically cleared to go back to work yet.”

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The Emergency Led to Maggie’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Role

While Pat was recovering, Maggie got an unexpected opportunity connected to the show that had been part of her family’s life for years.

Vanna White temporarily filled in for Pat as he recuperated, and Maggie stepped in for her. That experience opened the door to her own position on Wheel of Fortune.

“Filling in that time is what eventually led to my role as social correspondent on the show and getting the chance to work with my dad for those years, which is something that I never expected, and I am forever, forever grateful for,” she said.

“Now, I’m a big believer that everything is meant to be, and you may believe that, may not, but all I know, that really scary experience led to some really beautiful experiences,” she added.

Still, Maggie stressed that she would never want her family to face a crisis like that.

“Now, of course, if I could rewind, I wish that none of that ever happened, and my dad didn’t have to go through that pain, and we didn’t have to go through that fear,” she said.

Pat Sajak’s Final ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Episodes

Pat hosted his final daily episode of Wheel of Fortune on June 7, 2024, bringing his 41-season run to an end. He had been the face of the syndicated game show since 1981.

He later returned for one final hosting appearance on the primetime spinoff Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which wrapped up its run in June 2025.

Ryan Seacrest succeeded Pat as the host of the main syndicated series.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”