Richard Engel Shares Message to Late Son Henry on What Would've Been His 7th Birthday

Tamantha Gunn
·2 min read
Richard Engel Shares Message to Late Son Henry on What Would've Been His 7th Birthday
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Richard Engel is celebrating a bittersweet day.

The NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent shared a message to his son Henry, who passed away Aug. 9, commemorating what would have been his 7th birthday.

"Henry would have turned 7 today," he tweeted Sept. 29 alongside a picture of the young boy. "A big thank you to everyone who sent kind and thoughtful messages, and donated to support medical research to defeat Rett Syndrome. Happy Birthday Binks (our nickname)."

Richard's birthday message comes more than a month after he announced that his son had died following his battle with Rett syndrome, a genetic brain disorder that does not have a treatment or cure.

"Our beloved son Henry passed away," the journalist tweeted Aug. 18. "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."

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Richard also shared a link to a memorial page on the Texas Children's Hospital website, which offered more details on Henry's life and his illness and featured a special message from Dr. Huda Zoghbi, who studied the young boy's case.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Henry would have turned 7 today. A big thank you to everyone who sent kind and thoughtful messages, and donated to support medical research to defeat Rett Syndrome. Happy Birthday Binks (our nickname) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryKForrest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryKForrest</a> to support research: <a href="https://t.co/M8LV8SpUeT">https://t.co/M8LV8SpUeT</a> <a href="https://t.co/wRJNJTFthV">pic.twitter.com/wRJNJTFthV</a></p>&mdash; Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardEngel/status/1575511716338753537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Henry was special in so many ways," she wrote. "His loving and endearing smile, and the way he connected with his eyes, stole my heart from the time I met him. His quiet fight against this terrible disease was incredible. What is most amazing, however, is the impact Henry had on so many of us at the Duncan NRI and on our Rett research. We will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. This is how we will honor his life."

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Following Henry's death, several of Richard's NBC News colleagues shared their condolences on social media, including Today's Hoda Kotb, who tweeted, "Oh Richard…I am so so so sorry. My heart aches for you and your family. We love you."

NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt tweeted, "I am crushed by the news Richard. Thanks to you and Mary for sharing Henry's story and the joy and richness he brought into your lives. Your colleagues mourn with you."

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