Yahoo Finance Richard Engel Honors Late Son Henry on His 7th Birthday, Gives 'Big Thank You' for Support
Richard Engel is paying tribute to his late son Henry on what would have been his 7th birthday.
On Thursday, the NBC News chief foreign correspondent, 49, shared a heartfelt post on Twitter in honor of his son Henry, who died on Aug. 9 after a years-long battle with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder.
"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," Engel wrote alongside a sweet photo of his son. "Happy Birthday Binks (our nickname)."
Engel, who shares Henry with wife Mary, also included a link to Henry's memorial page on the Texas Children's Hospital website where people can donate to support research.
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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) @MaryKForrest to support research: https://t.co/M8LV8SpUeT pic.twitter.com/wRJNJTFthV
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) September 29, 2022
RELATED: Everything Richard Engel Said About 'Beloved' Son's Journey with Rett Syndrome Before His Death
Engel first shared the heartbreaking news of Henry's death on Twitter on Aug. 18.
"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," Engel wrote alongside a photo of his son.
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."
Henry was first diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder that leads to severe physical and cognitive impairments and has no cure, as of yet, in 2017.
Savannah Guthrie/Instagram
Engel previously shared an update on Henry's health in May, noting that his condition had "progressed" and he had "taken a turn for the worse."
In a video that Engel shared on Twitter, Engel's other son Theo, 2, affectionately kissed Henry on the forehead as Henry lay in bed. "One more?" Theo appeared to ask before giving his big brother another kiss in the sweet moment.
At the time, Engel added that Henry was "now home and getting love from brother Theo" after being hospitalized for six weeks.
Click here to contribute to the continued research efforts at Texas Children's Hospital's Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI).
