Nick Cannon Reveals His 5-Month-Old Son Died From Brain Cancer—What to Know About His ‘Invasive’ Condition
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Since the passing of his 5-month-old son, Zen, fans have had questions about how Nick Cannon’s son died and what condition caused his death.
The Masked Singer host revealed in an episode of his talk show, The Nick Cannon Show, on December 7, 2021, that his his son Zen—whom he shares with model Alyssa Scott—died from brain cancer. “I got so much to talk about,” he said at the start of the episode. “I haven’t even shared this with anybody. Not even the crew. Just because there is so much going on in the world. I had a tough, very tough weekend.”
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Nick—welcomed Zen in June 2021—shared a photo of Zen for his “Pic of the Day” before he broke down in tears over his son’s death. “Before the show started, in the summertime, Zen was born in June, June 23 actually,” he said. “It was a great day, y’all know I got a lot of kids. Zen is my youngest. It was so exciting.” Nick—who revealed that he held his son for the last time on December 5, 2021—called the episode of his talk show a “celebration of life” for his late child. “You can’t heal until you feel,” he said. He continued, “I didn’t know how I was going to handle today. But I wanted to grieve with my family.”
How did Nick Cannon’s son die?
How did Nick Cannon’s son die? Nick revealed that his Zen’s cause of death was a condition called hydrocephalus, which is defined as the “buildup of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain,” according to the Mayo Clinic. The organization reports that “the excess fluid increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the brain,” which can “damage brain tissues and cause a range of brain function problems.”
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“Over the weekend I lost my youngest son to a condition called hydrocephalus that was pretty much a malignant, invasive midline brain tumor, brain cancer,” Nick said on the episode. “It’s tough.” The comedian that Zen has had health issues since he was born, but he and Alyssa never knew how serious his son’s condition was until he was older. “I always noticed he had a cough…and so I wanted to check it out,” he said. “He always had this real interesting breathing, and then by the time he was 2 months old, I noticed…he had a nice-sized head—I call it a Cannon head.” He continued, “We didn’t think anything about it…but I really wanted to take him to the doctor for the breathing and to get his sinuses checked out. We thought it would be a routine process.”
Nick and Alyssa soon learned that their son had fluid built up in his brain as a result of a malignant tumor. Zen underwent surgery to have a shunt put in to drain the fluid, but unfortunately, his health took a turn around Thanksgiving, which is when Nick flew to Los Angeles to be with his son and his child’s mother. “This weekend I made a valid effort to spend the most quality time I could spend with Zen. We woke up on Sunday…and [went] to the ocean…and then I had to fly back to New York for the show,” he said. “By the time I got in the car and was headed to the airport, I had to turn around.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, hydrocephalus occurs most frequently in infants and adults 60 years old and over. Common signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus in infants include an unusually large head, a rapid increase in the size of the head, and a bulging or a tense soft spot on the top of the head (also known as the fontanel.) Other signs include nausea and vomiting; sleepiness and sluggishness; irritability; poor eating; seizures; eyes fixed downward (a.k.a. sunsetting of eyes); and issues with muscle tone and strength. The organization notes that parents should seek emergency care for their infants and toddlers if their child has symptoms like a high-pitched cry, problems with sucking or feeding, unexplained or recurrent vomiting, and seizures.
As for how hydrocephalus is caused, the Mayo Clinic reports that the condition is “caused by an imbalance between how much cerebrospinal fluid is produced and how much is absorbed into the bloodstream.” According to the site, “Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by tissues lining the ventricles of the brain. It flows through the ventricles by way of interconnecting channels. The fluid eventually flows into spaces around the brain and spinal column. It’s absorbed primarily by blood vessels in tissues on the surface of the brain.”
Cerebrospinal fluid helps keep the brain buoyant, allows the brain to float within the skull and cushions it to prevent injury. However, too much cerebrospinal fluid—caused by the obstruction of ventricles to other parts of the brain; overproduction; and poor absorption—can lead to health risks. According to the Mayo Clinic, hydrocephalus often occurs in newborns due to abnormal development of the central nervous system, bleeding within the ventricles, or a possible premature birth Infection in the uterus during pregnancy. Other causes are lesions or tumors in the brain or spinal cord, infections in the central nervous system; or bleeding in the brain due to a stroke or a traumatic head injury.
According to the Mayo Clinic, most cases of hydrocephalus progress, which means that intellectual, developmental and physical complication can develop if not treated. Common treatments include surgery to restore and normal cerebrospinal fluid levels in the brain, and various therapies to manage symptoms resulting from hydrocephalus. The Mayo Clinic also reports that less severe cases of hydrocephalus, when treated, can have few, if any, serious complications.
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