CNN Correspondent Rene Marsh Announces Death of 2-Year-Old Son Blake from Brain Cancer

Rene Marsh is mourning the death of her 2-year-old son.

On Thursday, the CNN correspondent revealed in an emotional Instagram post that her young son Blake has died after a battle with pediatric brain cancer.

Sharing a carousel of photos of her late son, Marsh began her post by addressing her message to "my dear sweet Blake aka 'Blakey.'"

"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," she continued. "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."

"I am forever changed because of you, my son," Marsh added of her child, who she welcomed with husband Kedric Payne back in March 2019.

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Marsh wrote that she felt "blessed and honored" to be Blake's mother.

"I wish we had more time together but I'm grateful for the time we had," she said.

"In just two years you mastered the ability to bring laughter and happiness into whatever room you were in. Your party tricks included telling me 'no,' no matter what question I asked, hugging and kissing on demand and your dance moves were top notch," she continued. "The good times we shared are forever in my heart. You loved being outside. You loved cruising the neighborhood in your drop top electric car, with the music on as you tried so hard to snap your fingers. You loved humming classical music. Your favorite was Mozart's Serenade no. 13."

"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," Marsh added, before noting she is "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," she concluded. "Mommy loves you and I look forward to holding and kissing you when we meet again."

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Back in June 2020, Marsh shared an opinion piece on CNN's website — titled "Wearing a mask isn't political. It could protect my son's life" — in which she wrote about her day-to-day with a sick child during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marsh wrote at the time, "Living through a pandemic, as a mom of a child with a cancer diagnosis, is terrifying."

In February 2021, Marsh shared in a follow-up piece that Blake's cancer had been in remission for six months before they were "blindsided" by its return in November 2020.

After sharing news of Blake's death, Marsh also posted a statement on Twitter, thanking those who looked after her little boy.

"Thank you to all the doctors and nurses at #JohnsHopkins who cared for and loved Blake over the past year and a half," she tweeted.