Anupama And Satya Nadella's Son Zain Passes Away: What We Know

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his wife Anupama lost their son Zain Nadella on Monday morning. He was 26-year-old. The software giant Microsoft informed its executive staff about Zain's passing via an email. In the email, the staff was asked to give the family space to grieve privately.

Zain was the oldest of Satya and Anupama's three children. In an interview, Satya revealed that his son had suffered complications during his birth. "Zain was born weighing just three pounds, having suffered asphyxiation in utero; as a result, he is visually impaired, has limited communication and is quadriplegic," he said.

Owing to his experience of raising a specially-abled child, Satya's work is also driven towards designing products that are focused especially on users with disabilities. He often shared his learning in raising and supporting Zain.

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Zain Nadella Death Reason

Zain was born with Cerebral Palsy. It is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain before birth or during the first few months after birth.

He received much of his treatment at The Children's Hospital which is led by Jeff Sperring. Remembering Zain, Sperring said, "Zain will be remembered for his eclectic taste in music, his bright sunny smile and the immense joy he brought to his family and all those who love him."

Last year, the Nadellas established the Zain Nadella endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurosciences, which is part of the Seatle Children's Center for Integrative Brain Research.

In an interview, Anupama Nadella had said that having a child with special needs is isolating. "Talking about it opened several doors. This shared experience with similar families was invaluable. In accessing programs for children with disabilities I met exceptional people involved in helping others. This support system not only embraced our family but also taught us to step in to help others--sometimes just by listening."

In October 2017, while talking about his son in a blog post, Satya had elaborately written about the night when Zain was born. "One night, during the thirty-sixth week of her pregnancy, Anu notices that the baby was not moving as much as she was accustomed to. So we went to the emergency room of a local hospital in Bellevue. We thought it would be just a routine checkup, little more than new parent anxiety. In fact, I distinctly remember feeling annoyed by the wait times we experienced in the emergency room."

He added that after examination, the doctors ordered an emergency cesarean section and Zain was born at 11:29 PM on August 13, 1996. "He did not cry," wrote Satya, adding that he was then taken to Seattle Children's Hospital and little did the new parents know that their life was about to change, as soon their child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.