US TV personality Nick Cannon is mourning the death of his five-month-old son, Zen.
Nick announced his death on Tuesday on the Nick Cannon Show and said Zen died from brain cancer and a condition called hydrocephalus, which the Mayo Clinic says is a buildup of fluid within the brain that creates tremendous pressure.
Zen, Nick’s son with model Alyssa Scott, was born in June. Nick said he was a calm baby who was always smiling.
“He was the most loving,” he said. “We called him Z Chilling. He was always smiling. He had the most beautiful spirit.”
The baby also had a lingering cough that Nick said he had a doctor check.
“I always noticed he had a cough and so I wanted to check it out,” he said. “He had this interesting breathing and by the time he was 2 months, I noticed he had this nice-sized head too — a Cannon head. We didn’t think anything of it. But I wanted to take him to the doctor for his sinus and breathing. We thought it would be routine.”
The doctor’s visit turned out to be anything but routine. Zen had fluid building in his head and also a malignant tumour.
Doctors performed brain surgery on Zen and installed a shunt to drain the fluid. The baby’s condition worsened around Thanksgiving, Nick said.
“This weekend I made an effort to spend the most quality time with Zen. We woke up on Sunday and went to the ocean with him and Alyssa, and then I had to fly back to New York for the show,” he said. “I got a call on my way to the airport to head back to Zen.”
The actor said he planned to take time off from the show to mourn, according to ETOnline.com.
Alyssa hasn’t yet commented, but Us Weekly noted she posted Instagram story videos of Zen on Tuesday.
Nick said she has been “amazing” during the heartbreak.
She’s “the strongest woman I’ve ever seen,” he said. “We never had an argument. She was emotional when she needed to be, but always was the best mom and continues to be the best mom.”
Nick has six other children, including twins Monroe and Moroccan Scott, with his ex wife, Mariah Carey.