Nick Cannon is spreading holiday cheer in honor of his late son, Zen.
Masked singer host, 43, shared a touching video on Instagram Saturday documenting a recent visit to Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where he dressed up as Santa Claus and read to patients more than two years after his son died of brain cancer.
“Zen’s Light shines bright for the holidays,” Cannon wrote in the clip.
“Thank you to Children’s Hospital of Orange County and everyone who made the day so loving, warm and memorable.”
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In the video, the TV host and musician could be seen in Santa gear as he handed out presents to young children and gave high fives to a few new friends.
The visit appears to be part of the ongoing mission of Cannon’s Zen’s Light Foundation. He and Zen’s mother, Alyssa Scott, announced the foundation in June 2022 in an effort to “foster global excellence in hope, grief care and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need,” as they previously shared.
A new clip of Cannon’s visit, accompanied by Stevie Wonder’s “This Christmas,” was also titled “Zen’s Light Holiday Hospital Special” and showed Cannon talking to another Santa at the hospital as they greeted children.
“Our patients were very grateful for this,” one nurse commented on Cannon’s post. “I’m still hearing about it from some of them!”
Nick Cannon.
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Cannon revealed on a December 2021 episode of his talk show that five-month-old Zen had died after a battle with brain cancer, which had been diagnosed three months earlier. Back in 2021, the working father told PEOPLE what it was like explaining Zeno’s death to his six other children at the time, calling it “pretty intense.”
“But their understanding and being there for me probably helped me stay together and really deal with it. Even Roc and Roe actually. They were there the whole journey,” he said of his 12-year-old. twins Monroe and Moroccan, who he shares with ex-wife Mariah Carey.
Scott, who later welcomed daughter Halo Marie with Cannon in December 2022, previously spoke about how difficult it was to pack Zen’s clothes.
“Well, today is the day I had to pack Zen’s dresser,” she wrote on Instagram at the time alongside a photo of a dresser full of Zen’s clothes. “Thinking about having a boy brought me some comfort because I didn’t think I would have to face this part.”
“But it’s time to make room for Halo 💗 and everything will be fine,” she continued. “Girls are blue too! So this stays 🤍.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education