Richard Engelis sharing heartbreaking news about his son’s health. The 6-year-old has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder.In a touching video that Richard shared on Twitter Monday, his son Theo, 2, affectionately kisses Henry on the forehead as Henry lays in bed.“One more?” Theo appears to ask before giving his big brother another kiss in the sweet moment.“For everyone following Henry’s story, unfortunately, he’s taken a turn for the worse,” the NBC News chief foreign correspondent, 48,captionedthe touching clip. “His condition progressed and he’s developed dystonia: uncontrolled shaking/ stiffness.“He added that Henry is “now home and getting love from brother Theo” after being hospitalized for six weeks.Sharing a photo of Henry flashing a grin, Richard wrote, “Thank you everyone for all the kind messages, from Henry, our Mr. Handsome.“twitter. inset: gettyHenry wasfirst diagnosedwith Rett Syndrome, which leads to severe physical and cognitive impairments and has no cure, as of yet, in 2017.Richard told PEOPLE in 2019 that Henry is “lacking a conductor gene” and that a medical team atTexas Children’s Hospitalis “trying to build a treatment that could help immensely.“In 2020, Engel opened up about the realities of how theCOVID-19 lockdownimpacted Henry and their family. He said in a candid essay forTodaythat Henry was not doing very well” considering the circumstances.“Henry has severe special needs, and COVID has beenan absolute nightmare for himand millions of other children like him. I’d add more colorful adjectives, but you get the point,” wrote Engel, adding that Henry – who was 4 at the time – “doesn’t walk or talk. He can’t feed himself efficiently. He doesn’t sit up straight. Now that he’s getting bigger, he can barely move independently.“RELATED VIDEO: Richard Engel Opens Up About his Fears for Son Henry as He Battles Rett Syndrome—Plus Their Tough Decision to Have More KidsThe father of two admitted he and his wife Mary “were coping better before COVID,“revealing that “school was the only place where[Henry] could interact with other children,” which was a huge asset for him.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“The kids would come up and kiss him, tussle his hair and bring him toys,” Richard explained in part. “He didn’t always respond as they expected, but the excitement in his eyes told them he enjoyed and appreciated it. Special needs kids have the most expressive eyes.”
Richard Engelis sharing heartbreaking news about his son’s health. The 6-year-old has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder.
In a touching video that Richard shared on Twitter Monday, his son Theo, 2, affectionately kisses Henry on the forehead as Henry lays in bed.
“One more?” Theo appears to ask before giving his big brother another kiss in the sweet moment.
“For everyone following Henry’s story, unfortunately, he’s taken a turn for the worse,” the NBC News chief foreign correspondent, 48,captionedthe touching clip. “His condition progressed and he’s developed dystonia: uncontrolled shaking/ stiffness.”
He added that Henry is “now home and getting love from brother Theo” after being hospitalized for six weeks.
Sharing a photo of Henry flashing a grin, Richard wrote, “Thank you everyone for all the kind messages, from Henry, our Mr. Handsome.”
twitter. inset: getty
Henry wasfirst diagnosedwith Rett Syndrome, which leads to severe physical and cognitive impairments and has no cure, as of yet, in 2017.
Richard told PEOPLE in 2019 that Henry is “lacking a conductor gene” and that a medical team atTexas Children’s Hospitalis “trying to build a treatment that could help immensely.”
In 2020, Engel opened up about the realities of how theCOVID-19 lockdownimpacted Henry and their family. He said in a candid essay forTodaythat Henry was not doing very well” considering the circumstances.
“Henry has severe special needs, and COVID has beenan absolute nightmare for himand millions of other children like him. I’d add more colorful adjectives, but you get the point,” wrote Engel, adding that Henry – who was 4 at the time – “doesn’t walk or talk. He can’t feed himself efficiently. He doesn’t sit up straight. Now that he’s getting bigger, he can barely move independently.”
RELATED VIDEO: Richard Engel Opens Up About his Fears for Son Henry as He Battles Rett Syndrome—Plus Their Tough Decision to Have More Kids
The father of two admitted he and his wife Mary “were coping better before COVID,“revealing that “school was the only place where[Henry] could interact with other children,” which was a huge asset for him.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“The kids would come up and kiss him, tussle his hair and bring him toys,” Richard explained in part. “He didn’t always respond as they expected, but the excitement in his eyes told them he enjoyed and appreciated it. Special needs kids have the most expressive eyes.”
source: people.com
