NBC News' Richard Engel says his 6-year-old son, Henry, has died Engel added he's looking forward to life as a "Dada"of two. His condition progressed and hes developed dystonia: uncontrolled shaking/ stiffness. Privacy Notice In 2012, he was awarded the Alfred I. du-Pont-Columbia Award for his outstanding breaking news coverage of the uprisings. But research takes time, and Zoghbi said shes heartbroken that she and her team werent able to bring to the table something that could help Henry directly. 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All Rights Reserved, Richard Engels wife details spending time with late sons body after his death, Hoda Kotb gets emotional honoring Richard Engels late son Henry, Savannah Guthrie honors Richard Engels late son, Henry, with touching tribute, Richard Engels son Henry dead at age 6 after battling neurological disorder, Nick Cannon celebrates Jada Pinkett Smith's 'Red Table Talk' cancellation: 'Good', Chance the Rapper's wife posts cryptic quote after his dance with another woman, Meghan Trainor 'can't walk' after 'nightmare' sex with 'big boy' Daryl Sabara, Famed New York socialite Patty Raynes found dead in her Palm Beach home, New photo of Meghan Markle that she 'never wanted the world to see', Michael J. "His loving and endearing smile, and the way he connected with his eyes, stole my heart from the time I met him. Richard Engel Opens Up About Son's Battle with Rett Syndrome - People Richard Engel, chief foreign correspondent for NBC News, announced on Thursday that his 6-year-old son Henry, diagnosed with Rett syndrome as an infant, had died. On Thursday, the couple visited TODAY and opened up . Richard Engel shares difficulty of watching baby son 'pass' by older "Our beloved son Henry passed away. Engel linked to the memorial page in a follow-up post, writing, "Researchers are making amazing progress using Henry's cells to help cure RETT Syndrome so others don't have to endure this terrible disease. [76] They have two sons: Henry, born in September 2015, and Theodore, born in August 2019. He had a tremor. The father of two admitted he and his wife "were coping better before COVID," revealing that "school was the only place where [Henry] could interact with other children," which was a huge asset for him. Zoghbi attributes in part to his parents the fact that Henry lived longer than most boys with the disease. "He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle. I love all of them, she said. "Hes healthy, happy (unless you unwrap his swaddle) and thirsty. The doctors are still using his preserved cells for research. The Engels got in touch with Zoghbi, whos been researching the disease for many years. "Our beloved son Henry passed away. Engel continued his coverage of the Iraq war in Baghdad as NBC's primary Iraq correspondent.[15]. 12,221, This story has been shared 9,366 times. ", "Egyptians Fear Decades of Muslim Brotherhood Rule, Warn Morsi is No Friend to US", "Richard Engel Draws Praise for Egypt Coverage", "Libya Media Swarm into Gaddafi Compound", "Richard Engel's Kidnapping: A Behind the Scenes Look", "NBC News Alters Account of Correspondent's Kidnapping in Syria", "Richard Engel, NBC Chief Foreign Correspondent, to Deliver 2013 Commencement Address", "The Undergraduate Journal of the Social Sciences Interview Series Richard Engel", "Addition to Winners' CRichard Engel to speak on Wednesday evening", "2013 New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell and Circle of Honor Dinner", "Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Richard Engel, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, Receives the 2013 John Chancellor Award", "PBS Dominates News & Documentary Emmys; CBS Leads Broadcast Nets", "Quinnipiac honors Richard Engel, late Bob Simon at annual Fred Friendly First Amendment Award Luncheon June 9", "2016 National Edward R. Murrow Award Winners", https://www.nypressclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2017-jawards-winners-news-release.pdf, https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019_ScrippsHowardAwardsProgram.pdf, "CBS News Wins 8 Edward R. Murrow Awards", "Sigma Delta Chi Awards - Society of Professional Journalists", "2020 TV / Radio | National Headliner Awards", "Reuters, VICE News, NBC win top awards in National Press Club journalism contest", "New York Press Club Announces its 2020 Journalism Award Winners the New York Press Club", "2021 National Edward R. Murrow Award winners", https://www.nypressclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/NYPC-2022-AWARDS.pdf, "The 2022 #deadlineawards winner for the National TV Spot News Reporting category is @RichardEngel @NBCNews "Taliban", "NBC's Richard Engel Marries 'Longtime Love' Mary Forrest", "Richard Engel Welcomes Son Henry Thomas", "NBC correspondent Richard Engel welcomes second son: 'We couldn't be more in love', "Richard Engel shares heartbreaking story of son's medical journey", "NBC News' Richard Engel says his 6-year-old son, Henry, has died", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Engel&oldid=1152191389, U.S. troop surge, the influx of 30,000 troops in 2007, 2006, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2007, Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism, 2008, Peabody Award, for his coverage of the Viper Company, a remote U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan, 2008, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, 2008, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2008, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Outstanding Live Coverage of a Breaking News Story Long Form, 2008, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Best Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2009, Society of Professional Journalism Award, 2009, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2010, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Best Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2010, News & Documentary Emmy Award, Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis, 2010, OPC David Kaplan Award for spot news reporting for a series of three reports from Afghanistan, 2011, David Bloom Award, Radio and Television Correspondents' Association, for Excellence in Enterprise Reporting, 2012, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, 2014, Peabody Award for his comprehensive look at the rise of ISIS, 2015, Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2015, Outstanding Hard News Report in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, 2015, Fred Friendly First Amendment Award, 2016, National Edward R. Murrow Award, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt Newscast, November 19, 2015, "Terror in Paris" Correspondent - Richard Engel, 2017, New York Press Club, Feature Reporting, On Assignment with Richard Engel - "A Matter of Trust", 2019, Scripps Howard Award - National, International Coverage. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Richard Engel is trying to find the good on a very sad day. "Mary and I are so excited to introduce our new son Theodore (Theo),'' Engel, 45, wrote in an email to "Today"Monday. Theo appeared to ask before giving his big brother another kiss in the sweet moment. Market data provided by Factset. We were hoping (Henry) would grow out of it. Everything to Know About Bruce Willis' Diagnosis, One Year into Ukraine War, NBC's Richard Engel Shares Insights from the Ground: 'Still in the Early Phases', their late son, his disease and the new balcony dedicated to his memory. Our Rett syndrome research will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. It is more often found in girls and there is no cure. Longtime NBC News foreign correspondent Richard Engel announced Thursday that his 6-year-old son Henry had died after a lifelong battle with a rare brain disorder. [38][39][40] Engel produced "Tip of the Spear", a series of NBC reports on the hardships and dangers faced by American soldiers, for which he won a 2008 George Foster Peabody Award. [41] His coverage focused on the challenges of free elections in Afghanistan and the disruptions to democracy in the country. That would be [Henrys] legacy.. Richard Engel Shares Photo Of Late Son Henry On 7th Birthday - Yahoo News The Duncan NRI's Founding Director Dr. Huda Zoghbi studied Henry's mutation closely. Henry Engel had Rett Syndrome, which slows development or causes loss of "purposefuluse of the hands, distinctive hand movements, slowed brain and head growth, problems with walking, seizures, and intellectual disability," according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Our beloved son Henry passed away. His muscles are moving. The TODAY regular shared a link to a memorial page on the Texas Children's Hospital website, which offered more details on Henry's life and his battle with Rett syndrome, a genetic brain disorder without a treatment or cure. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has shared some sad news about the health of his 6-year-old son, Henry. . "Henry would have turned 7 today," Engel tweeted on Sept. 29. Over the years, Engel has shared regular updates on his son's condition with the TODAY team and has been candid about the struggles and the joys of parenting a child with special needs. The Untold Truth Of Richard Engel - NickiSwift.com Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In June, Engel said Henry had taken a turn for the worse, developing dystonia, characterized by shaking and stiffness. Richard Engel (NBC News) Salary, Son, Wife. What is he doing? [28] Engel covered all major milestones of the war, including the first free Iraqi election and the capture, trial, and execution of Saddam Hussein. He couldnt speak, but he was young. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Richard Engel, NBC News' chief foreign correspondent, shared sad news Thursday that his 6-year-old son Henry has died. We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more. Engel also opened up about the feeling of watching his younger son surpass Henry in developmental milestones. [citation needed] He frequently traveled outside Iraq's Green Zone, the fortified international zone in central Baghdad, to report on the genuine state of Iraqi life.[30]. [38][39][40] He often traveled to the Korengal Valley, otherwise known as the "valley of death", one of the most dangerous outposts in Afghanistan. For the age expectancy of people living with Rett . His cells are being used in cutting-edge research. Engel received the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism for his report "War Zone Diary". He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle. He was in the hospital for 6 weeks, but is now home and getting love from brother Theo, he shared. [citation needed] Having escaped after five days in captivity, Engel said he believed that a Shabiha group loyal to al-Assad was behind the abduction, and that the crew was freed by the Ahrar al-Sham group five days later. In a 2019 essay about his family, the proud father gushed about an important milestone Henry had just met. We will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. [12] Engel began to appreciate the difference in cultures and countries that influenced his future career choices. [citation needed] He reported on the advances made by rebel fighters within the country as well as the mass defections from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government army. We will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. Engel is known for having covered the Iraq War, the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. ", "We have a vendetta against the syndrome and we want to cure it," Forrest said about the disease. The NBC News chief foreign corespondent, who has spent much of his career covering warand political upheaval,announced in an email to the"Today" showthat he and his wife, Mary Forrest, welcomed their second child, Theodore Forrest Engel, over the weekend. [10][11] He then spent his junior year of high school in Italy and became fluent in Italian. [20] The same year he toured and reported on the city of Mogadishu, Somalia, for a segment titled "The World's Most Dangerous City", for which he would receive a News and Documentary Emmy Award nomination. Learning to take a few steps in his walker and communicating with cards and a computer.". TODAY's Savannah Guthrie shared her condolences with Engel and his wife, Mary. Engel opened up on the "Today" show in March with an emotional essay about his first son, Henry, finally saying "Dada" after being diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological. He was 6 years old. His loving and endearing smile, and the way he connected with his eyes, stole my heart from the time I met him. To support the research: https://t.co/M8LV8SHv6r pic.twitter.com/UNnDONMtR1. "Our beloved son Henry passed away. This disorder, which has no cure, causes a progressive loss of motor skills and language. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He was almost 7 years old," Engel said. NBC News Richard Engels son Henry has died from disorder. Richard and Mary Engel, with son Henry on "TODAY" on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. He had a lot of different weaknesses in his motor system.. NBC's Richard Engel shares update on son with special needs - Today He has this smile that he looks at you youll see it in the pictures posted on the web and naturally, you fall in love with him, she told "TODAY." 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Youre my heroes," she wrote. "This is Theos first chapter, and a new one for our family. We've received your submission. 2022, Deadline Club National TV Spot News Reporting. Tributes and condolences poured in for Engel on Twitter after he shared the heartbreaking news. Courtesy Richard Engel. So if its not functioning at 100% capacity maybe its functioning at 40% capacitymaybe if we can increase the amount of the protein, maybe that will get us to help some of the symptoms., [Henry] became a driving force in the lab because the lab members met him and knew him and played with him, she added. In the touching video Engel shared, his son Theo, who will turn 3 in August, gives Henry kisses as he lies in bed. [51], Engel's account was however challenged from early on, with Jamie Dettmer of The Daily Beast citing unnamed sources, who believed Engel and his team had been kidnapped by rogue rebel groups opposed to Assad. Richard Engel NBC News, Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, On Assignment, Salary link to donate to support research in Henry's memory. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has shared some sad news about the health of his 6-year-old son, Henry. Richard Engel opens up about touching milestone for son who has Rett syndrome. Soon after sharing the first video, Engel tweeted another sweet photo of Henry sitting up and looking at the camera. What is most amazing, however, is the impact Henry had on so many of us at the Duncan NRI and on our Rett research. You see a child who is helpless and who is sweet, and hes connecting with you, but he really is suffering from this disease. "He was in the hospital for 6 weeks, but is now home and getting love from brother Theo. Richard Engel's son Henry dead at age 6 of neurological disorder - Page Six The syndrome is a rare genetic disorder with no known cure that prevented Henry from developing in the long term. In a video that Engel shared on Twitter, his son Theo, 2, affectionately kissed Henry on the forehead as Henry lay in bed. Then we realized it was a genetic condition, and hes not going to get over it.. Our beloved son Henry passed away. In a tweet posted on Aug. 18 . IE 11 is not supported. [48][49], On December 13, 2012, Engel and his five crew members, Aziz Akyava, Ghazi Balkiz, John Kooistra, Ian Rivers and Ammar Cheikh Omar, were abducted in Syria. NBC News correspondent Richard Engel announces death of 6-year-old son Terms of Use Engel has shared updates on Henry over the years, writing essays in 2018 and 2019 about both the joys and heartbreaks the family experienced. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In fact, Dr. Hoda Zogby, who discovered the genetic cause of Rett Syndrome, believes Henry's cells hold the secrets to finding a cure. It was an exciting Labor Day at Richard Engel's house. opened up on the "Today" show in Marchwith an emotional essay, NBC correspondent Richard Engel gets emotional after son with Rett Syndrome says 'Dada', 'Little People, Big World's Jeremy Roloff reveals he and wife Audrey are having a boy, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. He never gave up.". NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel announced Thursday that his son Henry, 6, has died. [53], Engel was married to a fellow Stanford student; the couple divorced in 2005. Richard Engel honors late son on his 7th birthday - Page Six Studying [Henrys] cells helped us to think a little differently, to find yet one more approach for developing therapies for Rett, she said. And you see him how hes struggling to really do the best he can so he can move, so he can gain some strength to crawl or do something., You feel the pain of Rett syndrome, and I felt that pain with so many patients before him, she continued. [79][80], "About us: Richard Engel - NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent", "Seven-Pakistani journalists honoured at Newseum memorial re-dedication", "In Iraq, Journalist Richard Engel Sticks to the Story", "High Achieving Dyslexics: Richard Engel", "High Achieving Dyslexics: Richard Engel, Journalist", "Richard Engel on Finding Success With Dyslexia", "Success Stories: Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC News", "Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC News", "Richard Engel: Covering War for a Decade", "Nominees for the 32nd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards Announced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences", "Ukraine: Freedom or Death Putin Invades Ukraine", "Special Program: Journalists Memorial Rededication Ceremony", "Book Discussion on War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq", "Richard Engel Reports: Tip of the Spear", "Will Election Help Women in Afghanistan? 2020, National Press Club Edwin M. Hood award for Diplomatic correspondence. [36] Engel's award-winning documentary, War Zone Diary, chronicled the everyday realities of covering the war in Iraq. When we first met Henry he couldnt stand steady. [52] In April 2015, NBC had to revise the kidnapping account, following further investigations by The New York Times, who had conducted several dozen interviews, suggesting that the NBC team "was almost certainly taken by a Sunni criminal element affiliated with the Free Syrian Army," rather than by a loyalist Shia group. "Life has twists, turns and new beginnings,'' Engel wrote. We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more. This story has been shared 13,615 times. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Born in 2015, Henry began to miss important developmental milestones and their doctor later informed them after a genetic scan that he had the disorder due to a mutation in his MECEP2 gene. "To parents with typically developing children, a little Dada may not seem like a big deal. / CBS News. MECP2 is found on the X chromosome,according to the National Institutes of Health, which females have two of, so its even rarer and more severe in males because they only have one X chromosome, explained Zoghbi. Engel opened up on the "Today" show in Marchwith an emotional essayabout his first son, Henry, finally saying "Dada" after being diagnosedwith Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder that leads to severe physical and cognitive impairments. He would shake a little bit, she recalled. [citation needed] He survived kidnapping attempts, bombings, IED attacks, and ambushes. He explains the conflict as occurring in six stages, or as six separate wars: Engel received a request from the Bush administration to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House to discuss Iraq and Mideast policy. 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"We will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. "No matter what's coming, we want Henry to know he's loved," Richard Engel said in the segment. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookiedough. "To parents with typically developing children, a little Dada may not seem like a big deal," he wrote. He followed the uprisings in Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Bahrain, and Yemen. The kids would come up and kiss him, tussle his hair and bring him toys, Engel shared. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights The mutation causes Rett syndrome, "a disorder that typically affects girls after their first birthday, robbing them of learned skills and leaving them with cognitive deficits, loss of speech, and a variety of motor difficulties," the hospital said. His reporting appears across NBC and MSNBC platforms. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel and his wife Mary Forrest are remembering their son Henry, who died in August at 6 years old. A big thank you to everyone who sent kind and thoughtful messages, and donated to support medical research to defeat Rett Syndrome. At age 13, he joined a wilderness survival camp where he learned about leadership and how to be more independent. He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle.