CNN Correspondent Renee Marsh Has Lost Her Baby Son, Blake, to Brain Cancer

While CNN reporters typically share trending news with the world on an everyday basis, correspondent Renee Marsh has herself become a trending topic due to unfortunate circumstances.

The anchor lost her 2-year-old son, Blake, on April 14, 2021.

The news has shocked fans and supporters since she had been very open about the struggles her family had gone through with Blake’s diagnosis. Because it seemed that chemo treatments were going well, many are taking the news very hard.

Keep reading to get the full scoop on Renee’s son. 

With everything going on in the world right now, parents — especially Black parents— are holding their children very close. So, when Renee shared that she had lost her son due to brain cancer, it was a crushing blow for fans and a reminder of different things we are up against.

“In your 25 months on earth you taught me how much strength I had stored up in reserve that I didn’t know I had,” Renee wrote. “You taught me endurance. You taught me a depth of love I have never experienced. You inspired me to keep going when I wanted to give up. You helped me prioritize what is truly important in this life.”

She continued, “I didn’t just lose you Blakey, I lost all the dreams and hopes that a mom has for a son. I lost my motherhood and I’m mourning it all. I am dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer for the rest of my life. I will do it not just to spare other parents from this unbearable pain but I will do it to forever honor you, Blake. Your life was not in vain my sweet angel.”

Blake’s life unfortunately came to a tragic end on April 14, 2021, just one month after celebrating his second birthday. He was born on March 14, 2019.

One of the things that fans admire about Renee is how strong she has been from the beginning. 

If you follow her on Instagram, you’d know that this has been a long-fought battle for her family.

In a series of Instagram posts, Renee shared that Blake was first diagnosed with brain cancer in December 2019.

“December 22 was my life’s transition," she wrote. "The doctor with an MRI in hand told my husband and I, ‘Your son has a fast-growing brain tumor in the center of his brain. The most malignant grade of tumor.’”

Renee and her husband Kedric Payne were immediately emotional, but knew that the fight had to begin to save Baby Blake’s life. And so it started.

Keep in mind, the National Cancer Institute reports that in 2020 alone, an estimated 16,850 children were diagnosed with cancer and about 1,730 died. 

Renee went on to explain that Blake had to undergo surgery.

“At 10 months of age, my son has endured brain surgery and one round of chemotherapy,” she wrote. 

However, there were complications to the treatment, which led to Blake’s experiencing fluid around his heart and caused him to stop breathing. Luckily, doctors were able to get him back on track. 

While Blake was able to get over that hump, some good news came their way. Renee had revealed that doctors assured her and Kedric for six months that Blake’s cancer was in remission, but in November 2020, they were blindsided by its return and spread, she shared in a CNN opinion piece. 

And now, Blake is no longer with us. We would love to give our deepest condolences to Renee, Kedric, and their family and friends. Nothing compares to the pain of losing a child, and we hope that they know that while Blake is no longer here, he will always live in their hearts.