Last year, Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott endured the tragedy of losing a child. The death of their son, Zen, has understandably been devastating for the parents, and they continue to remember him in various ways.
On Friday, June 23, Cannon and Scott honored what would have been their son’s first birthday. At a lighting ceremony, the two announced that they would be founding “Zen’s Light,” a pediatric cancer foundation.
“June 23rd will forever be a day of celebration,” Cannon wrote in a post to Instagram. “A beautiful lighting ceremony to honor the life of an Angel.” He went on to describe the new foundation. The “‘Zen’s Light’ mission is to foster global excellence in hope, grief-care, and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need,” wrote Cannon. “Zen’s birth has now transformed into ‘Zen’s Light’.”
“Thank you for everyone who joined us at this inaugural event, specifically the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and our other beautiful partners,” Cannon continued. “Can’t wait for next year where our Lighting Gala will continue grow to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, further research and help console more families during difficult times.” He included photos of him and Scott partaking in the lighting ceremony and celebrating the announcement of the foundation.
Zen passed away in December of 2021 after a battle with brain cancer. Alyssa Scott posted a video of the child yesterday to honor his birthday. “Happy heavenly birthday Zen,” she wrote. “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’. 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.”
View this post on Instagram
[via]