Ashley Cain has revealed the trauma over his daughter Azaylia’s death will ‘never leave’ him.
Azaylia, who he welcomed with his ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee, 36, tragically passed away from leukaemia in April 2021.
Since her death, TV personality Ashley has devoted his days to taking on near-impossible challenges and endured blood, sweat and tears to keep his daughter’s ‘legacy alive’.
Speakingon Paul Carrick Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast, Ashley said: ‘I don’t believe my trauma is ever going to leave me and I don’t want it to leave me because the pain I feel is the love for my daughter.’
During the emotional interview, Ashley recalled first discovering the signs that his daughter was ill and being told of her cancer diagnosis.
Ashley Cain has revealed the trauma over his daughter Azaylia’s death will ‘never leave’ him
Azaylia, who he welcomed with his ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee, 36, tragically passed away from leukaemia in April 2021
He said: ‘One day my partner [Safiyya] saw a raised lump on her stomach and it had a bruise on it. When we rang, they told us to come straight in. They took Azaylia’s blood.
‘They told us it was AMR leukemia, it was very aggressive. She’s at a high risk of this illness taking her life and there’s a low risk of them being able to cure it.
‘They told us that on the spot. We were moved to Birmingham Children’s hospital and that was my life going forward.
‘I went from feeling like I’d everything I’d ever wanted to having my entire life turned upside down. I broke down. I couldn’t function, I struggled to stand, to speak.’
Ashley and Safiyya planned to travel to Singapore with Azaylia for specialist leukemia treatment however doctors told them she was too ill to make the journey.
Ashley recalled: ‘The day the consultant came in and said, Azalyia’s tumours come back, she’s now got tumours on her stomach, her kidney, her spleen and her brain and she won’t be able to fly. There’s nothing we could do about it.
‘The radiotherapy was too harsh, it would have killed her. At this point, they said there was nothing they could do anymore.
‘I used to hope my daughter could beat cancer and then I got to the point where my hope becomes, when she passes away it’s peaceful and she can be in our arms.
, Ashley said: ‘I don’t believe my trauma is ever going to leave me and I don’t want it to leave me because the pain I feel is the love for my daughter’
Ashley and Safiyya planned to travel to Singapore with Azaylia for specialist leukemia treatment however doctors told them she was too ill to make the journey
Ashley became emotional as he recalled the day Azaylia passed away, saying: ‘We kept getting transfusions to hold that together so she would pass peacefully.
‘One morning we knew it was the time, we made sure she was in her arms and I was counting the seconds between her breaths until she didn’t breath anymore. I can’t forget that moment.’
Former footballer Ashley and Safiyya raised more than £1.5million to fund Azaylia’s specialist treatment before her death and later put any unspent money into The Azaylia Foundation which aims to support families and provide memorable experiences for children fighting cancer.
Ashley is now also father to 10-month-old son Aliyas. He previously opened up to MailOnline about his ‘beautiful’ co-parenting relationship with Aliyas’ mother.
He revealed that while he and Aliyas’s mother, who has not been identified, are not together, they will stay friends because they love and respect each other.
Ashley is now also father to 10-month-old son Aliyas. He previously opened up to MailOnline about his ‘beautiful’ co-parenting relationship with Aliyas’ mother
The father told MailOnline: ‘We’re keeping as friends, and we are co-parenting. We have a very good relationship, so that’s how it is staying.
It’s been beautiful, really to be able to get on, not amicably, but so well, even better, we both have Aliyas’s best interests in heart.
‘We both have love and respect for each other. And we both just want to be the best parents we can. And not only enjoy our son, but let us and enjoy the most of us and the most of life.
‘So we’re doing everything. It’s very comfortable. It’s very easy. And we make the best decisions based on our son, so great.’
If you are struggling with the loss of a child please contact Sands on 0808 164 3332 or helpline@sands.org.uk
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