Nick Cannon, known for his boundless energy and ever-expanding family tree, shared a tender slice of his life with fans regarding his 2-year-old son, Zillion.
The 43-year-old comedian joined Zillion's mother, Abby De La Rosa, in sharing with the world their son’s autism diagnosis in honor of World Autism Awareness Day.
Abby and the proud father of 12 shared their journey about understanding and embracing autism, which began after their adorable toddler, Zillion, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa welcomed twins, Zillion and Zion, in 2021
Image credits: Abby De La Rosa
“Today our family recognizes World Autism Awareness Day which is beyond meaningful to us because our amazing 2 year old, Zillion, was recently diagnosed with ASD - joining the unique energy of others like Niko Telsa, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Michael Angelo, just to name a few dynamic individuals,” Nick and Abby wrote in their joint post.
“Our beautiful boy experiences life in 4D and teaches us something new everyday!” the post went on to say. “His love, strength and brilliance light up every room he enters!”
ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting how individuals understand and engage with others. The word “spectrum” in ASD highlights the broad variation in the type and the severity of symptoms experienced, which means there is no one-size-fits-all way to approach an autism diagnosis.
In the U.S., 1 in 36 children has autism, with about 4 in 100 boys and 1 in 100 girls being diagnosed, according to the nonprofit autism awareness organization Autism Speaks.
The proud father of 12 shares three children with radio personality Abby De La Rosa
Image credits: Abby De La Rosa
Zillion and his twin, Zion, were born to Nick and Abby in June 2021 before they welcomed their third child together, Beautiful Zeppelin, in November 2022.
Nick and Abby said they are “blessed” to be parents to toddler Zillion and also extended their compassion and support to other families across the world with "shared challenges."
“We are blessed that God had placed such an amazing spirit under our guardianship and we have accepted this assignment wholeheartedly!” their post added. “On this World Autism Awareness Day, we extend our embrace to families worldwide, acknowledging shared challenges and championing understanding. Together, let’s create a world of acceptance and compassion.”
Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa said on World Autism Awareness Day that they are "blessed" to have Zillion in their lives
Nick commented on the post and wrote, “My brilliant little guy! We love you Zilly!”
Fans showered the post with an outpouring of love, with one saying, “Sending love from one autism momma to another!”
“Welcome to the community!!!! Let’s continue to advocate, educate and celebrate our children,” one said, while another chimed in, “Aww im a autistic mommy. Your son zillion is a beautiful child of God.
“My 6 year old is autistic and he’s the coolest kid I’ve ever met!” said another proud mamma.