'It Was Terrifying': Pat Sajak's Daughter Reveals Life-or-Death Health Scare That Nearly Killed 'Wheel of Fortune' Legend 7 Years Ago
Pat Sajak's daughter, Maggie, shared the scary experience on Instagram.
Nov. 12 2026, Published 6:10 p.m. ET
Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak's daughter, Maggie Sajak, has revealed the sudden health scare that nearly killed her father in 2019, RadarOnline.com can report.
"Seven years ago today was the scariest day of my life," Maggie said on Instagram. The 31-year-old explained she was walking with her father before he headed to film a Wheel episode.
Pat Sajak Rushed to Hospital for Emergency Surgery
Pat Sajak had an intestinal blockage, according to his daughter, Maggie.
But when they got home, Pat told his wife and daughter his abdomen was hurting.
"He's not a big complainer, so my mom and I knew something was going on. Thank goodness that we did because it turns out we were actually in a life-and-death situation," Maggie revealed in the social media post.
The game show host's daughter went with her father to the hospital, where they discovered he had an intestinal blockage. Pat needed to undergo emergency surgery that day.
"There is no other way around it. It was absolutely terrifying, but thankfully it wasn’t a sign of something more serious underlying," she stated.
Health Scare Reshaped Priorities for Maggie Sajak
Maggie shared she prioritizes seeing family.
While the ordeal was scary for Maggie, she shared how it clarified what was important in her life. Maggie detailed how, while waiting for her father to get out of surgery, she only cared about him and their family.
"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," the game show host's daughter said.
She shared that she prioritizes seeing her loved ones.
Vanna White and Maggie Sajak Stepped in During Icon's Recovery
The situation ended up landing Maggie Sajak a role on the game show.
Luckily, the situation had a happy ending for the Sajaks. The Wheel of Fortune host was recovering "well" from his procedure, but he couldn't return to hosting right away.
Due to this, co-host Vanna White temporarily hosted the game show. Maggie, meanwhile, stepped into White's role for a time.
"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," Maggie said.
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Maggie Sajak: 'Everything is Meant to Be'
Vanna White and Maggie Sajak hosted the game show during Pat's recovery.
Shortly after stepping in for White, Pat's daughter joined the Wheel of Fortune team as their social correspondent. As the host retired in 2024, Maggie got to work alongside her father for three years.
As social correspondent, Maggie films social media content for the show. Viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at how the program is run, alongside interviews with the contestants and special guests. She also gives tours of the set and gives fans sneak peeks into what's to come.
"Now, I’m a big believer that everything is meant to be, and you may believe that or not, but all I know is that really scary experiences led to some really beautiful experiences," she said.
