richard engel, nbc news. >>> now to our journey inside north korea.uspicious of outsiders and now a nuclear power unafraid to confront the west. we spent two days on the ground trying to see with our own eyes what life is like under the iron rule of kim jong un and whether its recent olympics overture signals a possible reset. they're images we rarely see. a look inside the secretive world of north korea. it began on our flight into the country. propaganda films, in-flight entertainment. they are announcing we have just crossed into north korea about an hour into our flight, over a frozen mountainous landscape. the next day we're taken from our guesthouse through the capital streets. government escorts determine where we can go, watching and listening to every move. pictures shot without permission, certain buildings, groups of people, military, we are told to delete. we're passing through central pyongyang now, it's about 8:30 on a sunday morning. lots of people out walking. we see them on the bicycles. what we don't see are a lot of cars on the road

we all know richard engel as a fearless nbc correspondent. >> and a really good friend.ey'll tell us about the courage it takes to face a different kind of challenge. we'll talk to the whole family in a moment. but first, their story in their own words. >> wow, look at that. >> when henry was born, just over two years ago, he made our life complete. the sweetest, happiest boy. but almost right away, something didn't seem quite right. >> the problem was henry wasn't really progressing. he wasn't sitting up when he should. he wasn't clapping his hands when he should. we went to every doctor we could find. >> cardiologists. >> hearing. sight, blood tests. >> gastroenterologist. >> everybody. it was a mystery. and we thought, well, there are late bloomers. we decided to do a full genetic scan. the results came in last september while i was with u.s. troops in south korea when the convoy pulled over. so i called the doctor and he said, we found something and it's very, very severe. it's life long, not treatable. i was in a state of shock. i got back in this convoy like shakin

we all know richard engel from his fearless reporting in some of the most dangerous places, but tonight richard and his wife mary are sharing their own personal story about their 2-year-old son henry, the surprising diagnosis they received and the challenge they're facing as a family with courage and hope. >> reporter: when henry was born, just over two years ago he was sweet and beautiful. but quickly, things didn't seem quite right. the problem was henry wasn't really progressing. he wasn't sitting up when he should. he wasn't clapping his hands when he should. we went to every doctor we could find. >> cardiologists. >> reporter: sight, blood tests. >> gastroenterologists. >> reporter: we decided to do a full genetic scan. the results came in last september while i was with u.s. troops in south korea. i called you and said we have a result, and i said it's not good. it's not just delay. it means life-long, permanent, untreatable, physical and intellectual impairment. >> and i just said no, no, no, no. >> reporter: doctors told us henry has a serious genetic disorder. in girls, it's ca

. >> the reporter richard engel and his wife are talking about their child's rare gentle disorder. they appeared to know in a rare interview. >> painful and very personal. we appreciate being able to do it. and it's lonely. hopefully other people will see this and feel a little less alone and well, too. >> he smiles back. what are you going to do? you have to try harder and you have to give it everything you can. and i know other families have been through this kind of thing before. and we can learn from them. >> you can learn more about the intellige genetic disorder that he was born. with it is very rare. the full story is on our tay show website. it is at "today" show.com. >>> coming up, it will be warmer today. our dry conditions continue. >> we're seeing a lot of sunshine as we get a live look outside. let's look at our temperature trend. we'll be in the upper 50s and upper 60s. a quick warm-up headed our way. we'll see he some warm weather in the forecast coming up. >>> plus, homes in the north bay after the devastating wildfires. the one problem halting reconstruction. count

our colleague, nbc news correspondent, richard engel, appeared on our show on tuesday, alongside hiso share that emotional story of henry's medical condition. henry was diagnosed with a syndrome that makes him unlikely to walk, talk or even dress himself. there's no treatment or cure. he shared the heartbreaking moment when he learned of henry's condition when he was traveling with the troops in south korea. >> i called the doctor. he said, we found something. and it's very, very severe. and it's lifelong, not treatable. i was in a state of shock. i got back in this convoy, like, shaking. it was the worst day of my life. >> after sharing their emotional story, social media was flooded with messages of support for richard and his family. here's a couple that caught our eye here in the orange room. jamie writing, when you have a child with a disability, it could feel lonely. know you're not alone. there's an army of heart and hands holding you and your family up. megan is posting, sorry for the road you're on. what a beautiful boy. he is so clearly loved and he's going to change the wo

. >> reporter richard engel and his wife are talk being her two-year-old son's rare genetic disorder.called you, i said, we have a result and i said, it's not good. it's not just delay, it means lifelong permanent untreatable physical and intellectual impairment. nd you -- >> i just said, no, no, no. >> we'll learn more about it this morning on the "today" show. the family talks about what it is, how they're coping and how their son's genetic map could hold the key actually to treatment that could in fact help others. >>> coming up next on "today in the bay," standing at stanford, what's next for a massive project in the works and the reason the school board is weighing in. >>> plus terrifying moments in a south bay neighborhood, the new information we are expected to get today after a police shooting in san jose. when my smile is bright, i feel ready to shine. some whitening toothpastes only remove surface stains, colgate optic white high impact white is different. it has hydrogen peroxide, to whiten four shades for a visibly whiter smile. trust your smile to colgate optic white. goo