Nick Cannon made it a very special Christmas for children spending the holidays in a hospital as he honored the memory of his late son, Zen.
The Masked Singer host, 43, shared an Instagram video on Saturday, December 23, of his visit to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. He titled the clip “Zen’s Light Holiday Hospital Special” in honor of Zen, who died in December 2021 at just 5 months old.
Cannon dressed as Santa Claus and was joined by a second St. Nick as they brought joy to numerous kids. A sign read, “Welcome to Zen’s Light Winter Wonderland.”
“Zen’s Light shining bright for the holidays!!” Cannon captioned the post. “Thank you to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and everyone who made the day so loving, warm and memorable.”
As Donny Hathaway’s 1970 classic “This Christmas” played in the background, the two Santas posed for photos and passed out presents to the kids, many of whom were in wheelchairs. Parents clapped in appreciation, and one nurse commented, “Our patients were so grateful for this! Still hearing about it from some of them!”
Bre Tiesi, the mother of Cannon’s son, Legendary Love, 17 months, wrote, “Beautiful.”
Cannon shares 11 children with six different mothers.
He shares twins Moroccan and Monroe, 12, with ex-wife Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon, 6, and Rise Messiah Cannon, 15 months, and daughter Powerful Queen, 2, with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, 2, and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin, 13 months, with Abby De La Rosa; daughter Onyx Ice Cole, 15 months, with LaNisha Cole, and daughter Halo Marie Cannon, 13 months, with Alyssa Scott, who is also Zen’s mother.
The hospital visit was part of the activities of Zen’s Light Foundation, which Cannon and Scott announced in June 2022. The mission of the foundation is to “foster global excellence in hope, grief care and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need.”
Last year, Cannon remembered Zen on December 5, which marked the one-year anniversary of his son’s passing.
“Physically, I’m definitely on the mend but Mentally and Spiritually I’m broken,” Cannon wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of him cradling his baby. “Been tossing and turning all night, and as much as I know I need rest, last night I couldn’t sleep at all. I can’t believe it’s been a year already since the toughest day of my life occurred. Such a painful anniversary.”
He continued, “Losing a child has to be the heaviest, most dark and depressive experiences that I will never get over. A mixture of guilt, pain, and sorrow is what I suppress daily.”
In December 2021, Cannon revealed on his TV talk show that Zen had died following a fight with brain cancer, which had been discovered three months prior.
He reflected on his late child’s personality, saying, “He was the most loving. We called him Z Chilling. He was always smiling. He had the most beautiful spirit.”
