Having a special needs child is both challenging and rewarding at the same time. At the beginning of the week, radio personality Abby De La Rosa and multi-hyphenate entertainer Nick Cannon revealed that their two-year-old son Zillion has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Recently, the mother-of-three took to social media to share that it has been “one of the most challenging years” for she and her family.
“The last year has really been one of the most challenging years of my life,” De La Rosa wrote in her story. “Constantly advocating and fighting for answers all while working and trying to be the best mother, friend, and partner.”
“Today I want to uplift all the families worldwide, acknowledging the [sic] all the challenges and spreading love & understanding,” she concluded.
De La Rosa and Cannon announced the news about their son in conjunction with World Autism Day.
The 42-year-old shared an Easter-themed video post starting her caption, “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.”
“Our beautiful boy experiences life in 4D and teaches us something new everyday! His love, strength and brilliance light up every room he enters! We are blessed that God had placed such an amazing spirit under our guardianship and we have accepted this assignment wholeheartedly!”
She concluded, “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. #onthespectrum ##autismawareness #sensoryplay”
According to Autism Speaks, boys are nearly 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. Autism prevalence is lower among white children than other racial and ethnic groups: White – 2.4%; Black – 2.9%; Hispanic – 3.2%; Asian or Pacific Islander – 3.3%.
In addition to Zillion, De La Rosa and Cannon share two additional children. Zillion’s twin brother, Zion and daughter Beautiful, 16 months.
Photo: Abby De La Rosa Instagram; Nick Cannon Instagram