Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Richard Engel Opens Up About Son's Battle With Rare Form of Rett Syndrome

Richard Engel Opens Up About Son's Battle With Rare Form of Rett Syndrome
Twitter: @RichardEngel

Henry could be the key to helping find a treatment for himself and others.

NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has seen some pretty harrowing things in his storied career. But learning that his son, Henry, was battling a rare form of Rett Syndrome was "the worst day of my life."

Engel was in South Korea when he got the news that the genetic scan had come back with the life-altering result. "I called the doctor and he said, 'We found something. It's very, very severe. It's life long, not treatable,'" Engel told NBC's Today. "I was in a state of shock. I got back into this convoy, shaking."


When Henry wasn't reaching developmental milestones, at first Engel and his wife, Mary Forrest, just attributed it to Henry being a "late bloomer." But when Henry was almost two and still wasn't talking or clapping his hands, they decided to have a genetic test done just to make sure.

Rett Syndrome (or RTT) is a rare genetic condition that almost exclusively affects girls. For most affected by the disorder, they will likely never learn to walk, talk, or be able to care for themselves. Since the genetic mutation involves a gene on the x chromosome, boys are usually affected more severely, since girls have a second x chromosome that remains unmutated.

Since the diagnosis in September, Engel and his wife have struggled with how to approach the devastating news.

But now, they're sharing their story in the hopes of bringing awareness to the disorder, and to sow some seeds of hope.

Early Tuesday morning, Engel shared a thread of very personal tweets revealing Henry's condition to his followers:







Engel also broke the news that Henry's rare form of Rett Syndrome may actually help lead to a viable treatment for Henry and others affected by the disorder:




As Engel mentioned in his tweets, he also sat down with Today's Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb to discuss his family's journey. And it certainly wasn't easy for them to do:


But they're remaining as optimistic as possible:



Many on Twitter, including several of Engel's colleagues, commended Engel and Forrest for sharing their story:








And some shared their own inspiring stories as well:




And Engel responded to the outpouring of love with the level of class and compassion that he's known for:



As one Twitter user so eloquently stated, "we're pulling for you":



You can watch the entire Today segment below:



H/T: Twitter, Today

More from Trending

Picture of a traditional, American house. It is white with red trim and a green roof.
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

People Divulge The Common Things That Were Banned At Home While Growing Up

When growing up with our parents, it's all about following the rules.

The House Rules, specifically, their rules!

Keep ReadingShow less
Daniel Dae Kim at the "Butterfly" New York Premiere held at Regal Union Square on August 05, 2025, in New York.
Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Daniel Day Kim ignites debate on casting

Daniel Dae Kim has spent years quietly—sometimes loudly—dragging Hollywood for the double standards Asian American actors face. The Lost and Hawaii Five-0 alum sat down with PBS’ American Masters and was asked about ethnic-specific casting.

His answer? A masterclass in being gracious while also side-eyeing an entire industry.

Keep ReadingShow less
David Corenswet auditioning for 'Superman'
@DiscussingFilm/Twitter (X)

David Corenswet's 'Superman' Audition Self-Tape Has The Internet Swooning Hard

With almost every major film release, thanks to social media, there's the immense joy of getting to see audition tapes.

We've seen some incredible tapes of Robert Downey, Jr., auditioning for Tony Stark and Ironman in the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We've seen auditions from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for Wicked: Part One and Wicked: For Good.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jamie Lee Curtis
Don Arnold/WireImage

Jamie Lee Curtis Has Iconic Response After Fans Are Stunned By Her Busty 'Freakier Friday' Look

Once again proving that she knows her way around a red carpet, and the internet, Jamie Lee Curtis stunned audiences with her appearance at a recent Freakier Friday screening.

The screening, at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, invited fans to "Dress like Tess [Coleman]," Curtis' character from the body-swap comedies.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
20th Century Fox

Alan Cumming's Description Of What It Was Like Shooting 'Avengers: Doomsday' Leaves Fans Worried

Moviegoers were given their fill of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) this summer with the release of The Fantastic Four: The First Steps, an acclaimed new entry that also saw the cinematic luck of the the Fantastic Four finally turn around for the better.

However, we haven't seen an Avengers film, in which the majority of the MCU's best loved heroes all join forces and come together, since 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

Keep ReadingShow less