Nick Cannon Launches Pediatric Cancer Foundation In Honor Of Late Son
The actor and Alyssa Scott named the foundation 'Zen's Light,' after their son, who passed away at the age of 5 months after battling brain cancer.
On June 23, Nick Cannon announced the launch of Zen’s Light, a pediatric cancer foundation. The date is significant, as it would have been their son Zen’s first birthday. At the age of 5 months, Zen passed away after battling a rare form of brain cancer.
“June 23rd will forever be a day of celebration. A beautiful lighting ceremony to honor the life of an Angel. Zen’s birth has now transformed into “Zen’s Light”. We are proud to announce his new foundation that will help so many others in this world,” Cannon captioned a photoset on Instagram where he is releasing a floating lantern with friends and family by his side.
‘“Zen’s Light’ mission is to foster global excellence in hope, grief-care, and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need,” he continued before thanking those who helped make the foundation a reality.
Scott also took to Instagram to honor her late son, sharing a video of snapshots of Zen’s life.
“Happy heavenly birthday Zen. At the root of all the emotions I have today there is insurmountable love. I always try my best to remain positive but right now I can’t help but cry out ‘it’s not suppose to be like this,’” she wrote.
“In my mind I can see him smashing his cake and crawling around, tugging at my legs. But the reality is I will be the one to blow out his first candle. I will be wishing he was still here with us. GO REST HIGH 🤍,” Scott concluded her caption.
In August 2021, when Zen was barely two months old, Cannon and Scott learned their son had high-grade glioma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. On December 5, 2021, Zen passed. After talking to countless doctors and weighing the options, Cannon and Scott ultimately decided to stop chemotherapy treatment and give Zen the best and most comfortable life they could.
"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,” Cannon, who has undergone chemotherapy for lupus, told PEOPLE. “To see that happen to a 2-month-old, I didn't want that. I didn't want him to suffer."
"We had a short time with a true angel," Cannon said. "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."
