TV personality and talk show host, Nick Cannon revealed during the filming The Nick Cannon Show Tuesday, December 7, that he and his girlfriend Alyssa Scott lost their 5-month-old son, Zen Cannon on Sunday.
Cannon dedicated his talk show on Tuesday to his son, releasing the saddening news that the 5-month-old had developed a condition called hydrocephalus, which the buildup of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain according to Mayo Clinic.
“It sounded like he had fluid in his lungs, like a sinus infection or something,” he told People. “Ultimately, it was cancer in the brain and the tumor began to grow a lot faster.”
Doctors placed a shunt in Zen’s skull to allow excess fluid to drain and alleviate pressure, but the tumor just continued to grow. At just 2-months-old at the time, the ideas of various treatments, including chemotherapy were thrown in the air. The couple decided to not progress further with any procedures, wanting to keep their son “as happy as he could possibly be.”
Things began to take turn for the worst Cannon recalls, during the Thanksgiving weekend. While getting choked up, he shared that he and Scott got the chance to take Zen to the ocean to spend the most quality time they could before their son passed.
“I didn’t know how I was going to handle today, but I just wanted to grieve with my family,” he said during the live taping, explaining that he’s at work so soon after because this is all he knows, calling the episode a “special show dedicated to my beautiful son, Zen.”
The Wild-N-Out host also chose honor his son through a tattoo, one he can forever cherish. Cannon wrote, “Had the privilege to host an Angel on this earth for a short period of time, but his energy is Eternal and will always be by my side. The strength in my rib. Zen Scott Cannon.”
Although he’s got projects planned for the near future, Cannon will also be taking more time off to spend with his girlfriend and family to grieve the tragic loss. Both he and Scott express their gratitude on the short time they got to spend with Zen as his parents.
“It was a privilege being Zen’s mommy,” Scott said to People. “It’s so beautiful and encouraging to see even complete strangers being touched and moved by Zen’s light. Zen’s spirit and light will shine bright forever.”
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