Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's son Zain Nadella has died, the company confirmed on Tuesday. He was 25 years old.
"Very sad that Satya's son Zayn Nadella has passed away," the company said in a statement emailed to USA Today. "Nadella is taking the time to grieve privately as a family."
According to a 2021 story from Seattle Children's Hospital, Zayn Nadella was born with cerebral palsy, was legally blind and had spastic quadriplegia, where he received care.
"She is a joy to our family, whose strength and warmth both inspire and inspire me what technology can do," Satya Nadella wrote in a 2017 LinkedIn post.
Last year, Nadella's family donated $15 million to the hospital "to advance precision medical neuroscience and youth mental health care."
Satya Nadella's wife Anu Nadella said, "As parents, our lives are shaped according to the needs of our children, and it is our hope that while honoring Zain's journey, we will come to every community. can improve and innovate care for future generations." A statement when the donation was announced.
In 2017, Satya Nadella shared the story of Zayn's birth in a post on LinkedIn. When Zain was born on August 13, 1996, she weighed 3 pounds and experienced uterine asphyxia. Satya Nadella said that Zayn would require continued care due to cerebral palsy as well as the use of a wheelchair, according to an excerpt from his book "Hit Refresh."
In the post, Satya Nadella said that Zain's life inspired him to push Microsoft to make accessibility a key priority.
"Being the father of a son with special needs was such a turning point in my life that it has shaped who I am today," Nadella wrote. "It has helped me better understand the journey of people with disabilities. It has shaped my personal passion and philosophy of connecting new ideas with empathy for others. And that's why I love the combination of love and compassion." Deeply committed to pushing the limits of what human ingenuity and passion for impact can be accomplished with my colleagues at Microsoft."