Nick Cannon has said his heart is “shattered” following the death of his five-month-old son Zen.
The American comedian and presenter previously revealed his child had died after suffering a brain tumour.
The TV star told US magazine People that just days after the birth of their son, he and and partner Alyssa Scott grew concerned about his breathing patterns.
Nick Cannon Opens Up About Losing His 5-Month-Old Son Zen to Cancer: 'My Heart Is Shattered' https://t.co/dtq5HjwBct pic.twitter.com/5IppXYoh6J
— People (@people) December 15, 2021
He said: “It sounded like he had fluid in his lungs, like a sinus infection or something.
“[The doctors] didn’t think it to be anything too concerning.”
However, a few weeks later it was determined that Zen’s head was “growing a little too quickly” and in August the baby, who was two months old at the time, was diagnosed with a high-grade glioma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
Cannon said: “”We started asking, ‘Is there a way to prevent this? If not, how long do we have?’
“The conversations quickly turned to, ‘How can we give him the best life for the time that he does have?’ It could be weeks, it could be months, it could be years.”
After discussing various treatments, including chemotherapy, Scott and Cannon — who has undergone chemotherapy for the autoimmune disease lupus — made the decision to not pursue any further invasive procedures.
He said: “We were having quality-of-life conversations.
“We could have had that existence where he would’ve had to live in the hospital, hooked up to machines, for the rest of the time.
“From someone who’s had to deal with chemotherapy before, I know that pain.
“To see that happen to a two-month-old, I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him to suffer.”
Cannon, who is also father to twins Moroccan and Monroe, 10, with ex-wife Mariah Carey; son Golden, four, and daughter Powerful Queen, 11 months, whom he shares with Brittany Bell; and twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, five months, whom he shares with Abby De La Rosa, said they tried to create as many joyful moments with their son as they could.
They celebrated his birthday every month, until he took a turn for the worse over Thanksgiving weekend at the end of November.
He said: “You could tell he was struggling.
“He was gasping for air. We’d wake up, and he wouldn’t be breathing for maybe five to 10 seconds at a time, and then he’d let out a huge gasp.
“You could see it frightened him. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
The baby died on December 5 and Cannon said he is still reflecting on his loss.
He said: “We had a short time with a true angel.
“My heart is shattered. I wish I could have done more, spent more time with him, taken more pictures. I wish I could have hugged him longer.”
He added: “He was the most loving baby. I look at being his father as a great privilege.”