Dwyane Wade was supposed to be back on Jenna & Friends this week for another light-hearted guest host stint. But the ex-Miami Heat legend found himself stepping into a far more emotional role on the July 7 episode —voicing the grief his co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, could barely speak through.

What began as a summer morning segment turned into a heartbreaking moment of solidarity, as Wade and Bush Hager addressed the devastating flash floods that swept through the Guadalupe River in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend — killing at least 104 people, including more than two dozen children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a local summer camp.

For Jenna Bush Hager, the tragedy hit painfully close to home. Her family has deep ties to Camp Mystic. Jenna was not only a camper here, but her mother, former First Lady Laura Bush was also part of this camp’s history. Live from New York, Wade watched Jenna Bush Hager tearfully talk about the recent Texas tragedy that struck Camp Mystic. “My mom was a counselor there, but also so many of my friends were raised at this camp,” Jenna said on TODAY July 7.

Laura Bush was a drama counselor at the camp. Not only did Jenna attend Camp Mystic as a young girl, she sent her daughters there. Her family was not at the camp during recent events. Seeing Jenna struggling to form words, Dwyane Wade conveyed their feelings over the situation, particularly as parents. “As a parent, I’m sure all of our hearts are heavy and all of thoughts, and our prayers, our wishes. You know our fingers are crossed for the families, you know this community as well, you know can overcome this together.”

Jenna Bush Hager comforts Dwyane Wade

“Just as parents,” Wade continued, “there’s certain places that we send our kids, and we feel those are the places of safety for them. And that’s school, and that’s camps. Because we know the growth and evolution that happens at these places. But tragedy also occurs and it’s so unfortunate.”

After a flood watch notice midday Thursday, the National Weather Service issued an urgent warning around 4 a.m. for a severe threat to human life. By at least 5:20 a.m., some in the Kerrville City area said water levels were getting alarmingly high. The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes. The century-old summer institution in Hunt, Texas, was hosting more than 750 campers when heavy rainfall triggered a deadly surge from the Guadalupe River.

As of July 6, 11 campers and one counselor were still missing. Search efforts for the other kids are on, but the current casualty count has left the nation reeling. The area is flood-prone and tricky. The late camp owner, Richard “Dick” Eastland, tragically died while attempting to save campers from the floods.

Jenna, a Texas native whose father, former president George W. Bush, served as governor, assured Dwyane Wade that Texas is resilient and will overcome this. “My husband said, ‘Why are we sending our kids to Texas to camp? It’s hot,’” she told D-Wade. “And it’s because of the love that’s there. Texas has a type of resilience. They’re generous people, where people want to reach out and help. Texas camps are really special.”

Jenna’s kids were at a different camp, but she revealed that some of her friends had daughters at the camp as recently as last week. It’s currently unclear if anyone close to her was affected. Jenna Bush Hager and the team at Today are supporting the rescue and relief efforts. If you want to help the communities affected by the Texas floods, please visit redcross.org.

While Wade was meant to be a guest host, he became a steady voice during a moment of national grief. His empathy — especially as a father — gave space for both Jenna’s silence and the country’s sorrow.