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Nick Cannon has opened up about the death of his youngest child, five-month-old son Zen, who had a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
Cannon and Zen's mother Alyssa Scott (28) says after their son was diagnosed with cancer at two-months old, they didn't want to put their baby through the pain of chemotherapy
“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 2-month-old, I didn't want that. I didn't want him to suffer,” said Cannon to People.
The pair instead focused on keeping the tot as happy as he could be and improving his quality of his life in the months leading up to his death.
“We focused on Disneyland, our favorite place,” explains Cannon. “Every month we would celebrate his birthday, just really seeing it as a victory every time he had a milestone that he was still here with us.”
After their son's death on December 5, with his parents by his side Cannon 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.”
The pair are still reeling over their loss, and described being parents to little Zen as a privilege and said his sprit would live on.
Zen was one of Cannon's seven children, three of whom he welcomed in June this year, raising eyebrows all over Tinseltown.
Earlier this year, Nick (41), who has said he’s been "having these kids on purpose”, announced he was taking a break from growing his family tree, and will embrace celibacy instead.
“My therapist says I should be celibate," the Masked Singer host told Entertainment Tonight. "I'm [gonna] take a break from having kids."
Nick’s brood includes 10-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with his ex-wife Mariah Carey; four-year-old son Golden and 10-month-old daughter Powerful Queen with model Brittany Bell; and in June he had twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir with DJ Abby De La Rosa; and, a week later, baby number seven, Zen, with model Alyssa Scott.
“I have several siblings and being raised in an unorthodox family by my grandparents, I've experienced such a wide range of upbringing that I have such a love and passion for kids and family. I want a big family too," he shared. "The Lord has blessed me with what I asked but ask and you shall receive.”
Phew!
While his therapist advised a break from “shooting Cannons” after welcoming four kids in less than a year, the star says he will be focusing on his daytime talk show, Nick Cannon, among his other gigs, and spending time with his family.
"I'm trying to chill out," he said. I'm kind of stepping away, getting focused, going within, getting my celibacy on. I have enough children, enough frolicking, I'm good right now."
His children get all of his attention when he’s not working, said Nick, adding, “that's the beauty of it, because it kind of keeps me out of trouble. It's either work or playing with my kids”.
Nick, who was diagnosed with lupus, the life-threatening kidney disease in 2012, admitted in an interview with Howard Stern that he’s adopted a YOLO attitude.
"I don't fear [death]. I welcome it," he said after his diagnosis. "I got to a space now where it's like, I'm probably gonna die sooner than most people. I mean, that's what the doctors said. But I'm living life like, 'F***! I might die in the morning, so let's f*** all night!' Why wear condoms, I might not be here tomorrow."
When a guest on his radio show suggested he “wrap it up”, Nick had this to say:
"I don't have no accidents," he said. "Trust me, there's a lot of people that I could've gotten pregnant that I didn't. The ones that got pregnant are the ones that were supposed to get pregnant."
SOURCES: ETONLINE.COM, PEOPLE.COM, BILLBOARD.COM, THETHINGS.COM, PAGESIX.COM
