Nick Cannon Explains Decision Not To Treat Son Zen With Chemo: ‘I Didn’t Want Him To Suffer’
Just a little more than a week after Nick Cannon announced the passing of his 5-month-old son Zen, who died from brain cancer, the talk-show host is speaking more about the tragedy in a recent interview with People.
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Cannon said his son that he shared with Alyssa Scott started to experience abnormal breathing patterns after his arrival in June. Just a few weeks later, doctors determined that at just 2 months old, Zen had high-grade glioma, which is a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. “We started asking, ‘Is there a way to prevent this?,” Cannon recalled to People. “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.” He added, “We were having quality-of-life conversations,” he continued. “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.”
Now, Cannon, who has been open about his own health battle after being diagnosed with lupus in 2012, and has undergone chemotherapy treatments himself, said he didn’t want his baby boy to go through all of that: “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.”
Doctors placed a shunt in Zen’s skull to allow excess fluid to drain and alleviate pressure, but his tumors had continued to grow. After hearing all options, Cannon, 41, and Scott, 28, were determined to create the best memories with their baby boy.
“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.” On Dec. 5, Zen took his last breath — with his parents by his side.
“He was the most loving baby,” says Cannon. “I look at being his father as a great privilege.” Scott also wrote a statement to PEOPLE, saying: “It was a privilege being Zen’s mommy. 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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