Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie were brought close to tears on Thursday April 13 when they reunited with their NBC colleague Richard Engel and his wife, eight months after the death of their six-year-old boy.
Henry had been diagnosed with Rett Syndrome in 2017, a rare genetic disorder that can lead to physical and cognitive impairments at a very young age. It can also lead to stunted growth. He passed away in August 2022. Richard and his wife Mary appeared on the Today Show to share how they have spent the last eight months, declaring that they have a "vendetta" against the disease and have been working with doctors to help find a cure.
The segment's video package detailed how they have partnered with Doctor Hoda Zogby, who discovered the genetic cause of Rett syndrome and Richard shared that she "believes Henry's cells hold the secrets to finding a cure". Mom-of-two Savannah was left emotional, as she thanked the pair "for your courage to be here".
"We have a vendetta, we want to cure it, We don't want anyone else to go through this, we don't want any other child to lose their life," said Mary, revealing that she had been going on long walks to help her cope with the grief.
"When it comes over me and, and, and I think about Henry all the time, I just go with it because to push it down and try to not feel it doesn't help at all," she admitted.
"This was obviously tough, but it was also positive because we're trying to keep this going, we're trying to keep the fight going," added Richard, who has been NBC's Chief War Correspondent since 2008..
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"There are a lot of families out there who heard about Henry's story over the years and we want to let them know that we haven't given up and that Henry hasn't given up on them because there's a killer out there and we're making progress and and we want to keep it up until we can settle the score."
"I've said it a million times, you're my heroes," added Savannah.
On August 18 2022 Richard shared the heartbreaking news on social media alongside a photograph of a smiling Henry.
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"Our beloved son Henry passed away," he tweeted. "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. Mary and Richard."
He and wife Mary also are parents to Theodore, three.
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