6-year-old son of NBC reporter Richard Engel dies
The young son of NBC News foreign correspondent Richard Engel has lost his long battle with a genetic neurological disorder called Rett Syndrome.
“Our beloved son Henry passed away. He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle,” Engel tweeted Thursday. “We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more.”
Engel added that his son’s cells are helping researchers understand Rett Syndrome with hopes of stopping it from taking other young lives. The affliction is currently incurable.
Our beloved son Henry passed away. He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle. We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more. Mary and Richard. https://t.co/M8LV8SHv6r pic.twitter.com/21Ja6TOtjH
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) August 18, 2022
The Mayo Clinic describes Rett Syndrome as “a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder that affects the way the brain develops” and mostly affects females.
Engel said going into June that his son had “taken a turn for the worse” after being hospitalized for six weeks and dealing with shaking and stiffness. He shared video of his 3-year-old son, Theo, at his big brother’s bedside trying to provide comfort.
The 48-year-old reporter is an Upper East Side native who has been with NBC since 2008. He has covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and won several Emmy and Peabody awards.
