'You can't heal until you feel': Nick Cannon shares about the tragic death of his son

Actor/TV host Nick Cannon revealed Tuesday that tragedy struck his family over the weekend with the passing of his son, Zen.

The 41-year-old made the tragic announcement on his television show, "The Nick Cannon Show."

Cannon told his television audience that his 5-month-old son suffered from a condition called "hydrocephalus."

Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid in the cavities of the brain, resulting in the swelling of brain tissue, which causes brain damage as the organ is forced against the inside of the skull.

Cannon broke down in tears as he told the audience about his son's medical condition.

“I always noticed he had a cough, and so I wanted to check it out,” he said. He told his audience that he thought everything would be fine because his son had always had a round head like himself, which he jokingly called "a Cannon head." He and the child's mother, Alyssa Scott, thought that their son had little more than a cough and a sinus infection due to the child's abnormal breathing.

When doctors discovered that Zen had fluid in the brain, they did emergency surgery and put in a shunt to drain the fluid.

Zen's condition worsened over Thanksgiving, and by that time, the couple discovered that a tumor had also grown in their son's brain.

The TV host broke down in tears as he described holding his son for the last time over the weekend, telling his audience that Sunday was usually his day to handle family business before flying to New York to be on the show.

A MESSAGE FROM NICKyoutu.be

"I was preparing my day as it normally went. I didn’t know what it was going to be. But even by the time I got in the car headed for the airport, I had to turn around," Cannon said. The actor told the television audience that he was able to watch the sunset as he held his youngest son for the last time.

Visibly shaken and in tears, Cannon dedicated his show on Tuesday to his baby boy.

"You can’t heal until you feel," Cannon said to his audience. "I have so much faith in the Lord; I have so much faith in God," he said. "People kept telling me I should pray for miracles, and I did. I prayed for the miracle of God's strength, and that's why I'm here with you today," Cannon told his audience.

The television host shares 10-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe Cannon with singer Mariah Carey; 4-year-old son Golden and 11-month-old daughter Powerful Queen Bell with Brittany Bell; and 5-month-old twins Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon with Abby De La Rosa, according to ABC News.