As a TV foreign correspondent, Richard Engel has had to relay plenty of shocking and awful news in his time. But more recently he had to report some sad facts about someone much closer to home.

Richard Engel is a celebrated journalist and chief foreign correspondent for the NBC television network. As such, the 44-year-old has spent a lot of time in literal war zones, and witnessed some horrifying things. His dedication to the job has caused him to courageously fly into nightmarish and potentially lethal situations. Consequently, he has been shot at, ambushed, bombed, and has even appeared on screen reporting through clouds of tear gas. And yet, the New York native does not consider any of those to be the worst day of his life. Instead, it was the one when the journalist learned some devastatingly bad news about his young son, Henry.

Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Engel had wanted to be a reporter ever since he was a young teen, attending Riverdale Country School in New York. But the future correspondent who would be no stranger to theaters of war already had a fight on his hands. He had the reading and writing learning disability dyslexia, a condition that was not well understood at the time. Despite the best efforts of his parents, it destroyed his confidence and led to behavioral issues at school.

Yet gradually, with specialist help, Engel realized his dyslexia didn’t have to hold him back, or even be the massive problem one evaluating child psychiatrist thought it was. The newsman now credits attending a wilderness survival camp at the age of 13 with boosting his confidence. Subsequently, he attended Stanford University in California and began working in earnest towards his desired destination – becoming a journalist. These days, of course, he is one of the most accomplished and distinguished members of that profession in the U.S. Nonetheless, Engels has never forgotten his personal struggle and gives his time freely to charities that help children with learning difficulties.

But despite this and a hectic career he still had time for his long-term girlfriend, TV producer Mary Forrest, now 42. The couple married in May, 2015, and there was more breaking news a few months later, when their little boy, Henry Thomas, arrived in September. The proud father made an announcement on Twitter. “Couldn’t be happier to welcome our baby boy,” he tweeted, adding, “Mom and baby both well. So excited for his, and our, adventure.”

And the glad tidings were all the happier, considering the hurdles and dangers Engels had overcome and survived thus far. It wasn’t just his difficult childhood, in the course of his adult life he had lived through situations that might well have killed him. The risks of his journalism work came with a real personal price. In 2012 alone, he endured being kidnapped in Syria and threatened with execution.

Furthermore, his unbelievably stressful job had cost him his first marriage. Engel had previously been wed to a former Stanford classmate, a woman who he has never named publicly. But their relationship had not been able to survive the absences and anxieties of Engel’s career, and the couple split in 2005. The following year, the journalist told the Washington Post newspaper that he felt like his job did not allow him a personal life.

So it would seem that the successful relationship and marriage to Forrest and the arrival of little Henry was a happy ending of sorts for the seasoned reporter. Engel’s thousands-strong army of Twitter followers and his fellow journalists all popped up to say so. “Congratulations to you and your wife,” Karl Ravech tweeted him. The ESPN sportscaster added, “This will be the most rewarding of adventures.” But, as we shall see, all adventures contain an element of risk.

Over the following years, Engel occasionally shared tidbits about his son. When the correspondent’s book, And Then All Hell Broke Loose, was published in 2016, he uploaded an adorable picture to Twitter. Alongside the shot, the journalist wrote, “So, our baby Henry has picked up a copy of the new book. His review: tasty!” Engel’s followers cooed over his son and talked about how perfectly cute he was.

But sadly, all was not well with Engel’s beloved boy. As Henry grew a little bigger, his parents noticed that the toddler was not developing normally. The infant couldn’t speak the same way that others his age did, and he was unable to walk or even sit up straight. Engel hoped that perhaps Henry was a late bloomer – after all, in a sense, his dad had been one too.

But, unfortunately, that was not to be the case for poor Henry. In September 2017, his mom and dad received a diagnosis for their son, and it was not good news. They were told Henry had the rare brain disorder Rett syndrome. What’s more, he was doubly unlucky since this genetic neurological condition almost always occurs in girls. The developmental disorder causes severe physical impairment and additional health problems, including a propensity for seizures and paralysis. So, like his father, Henry would experience learning difficulties – only far, far more severe ones. In fact, the boy would probably need full-time personal care for the rest of his life.

Rett syndrome is caused by mutations of the gene MECP2, which is located on the X chromosome. This is why – although roughly one in 8,500 females have the condition – it is extremely rare in males. Most boy babies born with the disorder die not long after birth. So Henry had beaten both sets of odds.

Engel broke the news to his Twitter followers on January 30, 2018. The correspondent composed a series of tweets relaying the sad information. “We recently learned our two-year-old son Henry has a serious genetic disorder, requiring lifelong care,” he explained. “Doctors say our son Henry’s condition means he’ll [likely never] walk, talk or be able to do things like dress and feed himself.”

“Like other parents of special-needs children, we’re adjusting,” Engel wrote, adding that he and his wife hoped to learn from others who had been through the same thing. Ultimately the couple had opened up about Henry’s condition because they hoped to support those people and raise awareness of Rett syndrome. Engel’s second-to-last tweet on announcing the fact read, “The news is: there is hope”

“A top Rett doctor believes Henry’s mutation could lead to a treatment for him and others,” Engel continued. The reporter also mentioned that Henry’s story was about to be featured on that day’s edition of TV news magazine show Today. He invited his Twitter followers to tune in.

Subsequently, little Henry appeared on the show with his parents that morning. And Dr. Huda Zoghbi, the research specialist studying his case, was also interviewed. The doctor is director of the Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, and explained the complex nature of Rett Syndrome. Dr. Zoghbi also emphasized how Henry may have created a small breakthrough in the study of the condition simply by surviving.

“Henry’s mutation is unique in the world,” she explained. “But because it’s unique is what makes it so valuable. Sometimes from the rarest thing, you can learn the most.” She and her team in Houston had taken a sample of the two-year-old’s cells. With that, the scientists hope to discover a way of boosting the MECP2 in Henry’s body, hopefully improving his condition.

The day after the appearance on Today, Engel published an article on the show’s website. He described how the family were coping. “My wife Mary, formerly a television producer, is now a full-time care provider,” he explained. “She takes Henry to daily physical and occupational therapy appointments, including two at a hospital each week.”

But there was also intensive work being done at home. “[Mary] turns every meal into an opportunity for Henry to practice the fine motor skills he lacks, encouraging him to try to pick up his food and find his mouth,” Engel continued. And the lucratively rewarded newsman was quick to count their blessings. He acknowledged, “We’re extremely lucky that Mary can dedicate herself to Henry full time and that we have the means and insurance to cover the costs of his care. Many other families with special-needs children are not as fortunate.”

Engel also listed some of the details of Dr. Zoghbi’s plan of action. He wrote, “The next step is to create animal models, mice biologically engineered with Henry’s specific mutation, which her lab will use to test ways to safely boost MECP2.” If she and her team can achieve this, it could potentially help a lot of people. And Engel knows, thanks to his childhood experiences, the vital importance of understanding and then working with the human brain.

But in the meantime, Engel and his wife have devoted themselves to their son’s happiness and wellbeing. As the journalist told users of the Today website, “We try our best to fill him with love, never missing a chance to cuddle him, rub his hair, stroke his earlobes and to tell him how much we love him.” And at this stage in Henry’s life, and with the challenges to follow, that is surely the most important thing mom and dad can possibly do.