Ashley Cain admits he feels ‘guilty’ about becoming become a father again – two years after his daughter Azaylia tragically died from leukaemia
Ashley Cain has admitted he feels ‘guilty’ about welcoming another child following the death of his daughter Azaylia.
The TV personality, 33, revealed last weekend is expecting a son with an old friend, two years after he and his ex partner Safiyya Vorajee, 36, tragically lost their little girl.
Azalyia was diagnosed with with acute myeloid leukemia at eight-weeks-old and had tumours on her lungs, stomach and kidneys.
She was given several rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant at Birmingham Children’s Hospital but sadly died on April 24, 2021 when she was just eight-months-old, following a courageous battle.
Speaking about becoming a father for the second time, Ashley confessed on Monday’s Good Morning Britain: ‘It was different because I felt slightly guilty, I felt slightly hurt for Azaylia and I didn’t really expect this to be the case.’
Ashley Cain has admitted he feels ‘guilty’ about welcoming another child following the death of his daughter Azalyia
Azalyia was diagnosed with with acute myeloid leukemia at eight weeks and had tumours on her lungs, stomach and kidneys. She sadly died in April 2021 when she was eight-months-old
Ashley continued: ‘But very quickly, like I do, I took the responsibility of being a father. I realise that every child is a blessing and I got myself in the right mind frame and had a long time to think about it.
‘[I’m going to] be the best person I can possibly be for my son that’s coming into this world and that’s what I intend to do.’
As host Ed Balls asked if this baby news made him feel ‘conflicted with loss and opportunity’, Ashley responded: ‘100 percent.
‘I think I was meant to be a daddy. I love children, I love my family’s children and it’s hard every time to see them because I always think that’s what Azaylia should be doing now…I think that’ll be the case with my son.’
Ashley – who has led a number of endurance tasks to raise money for his charity The Azaylia Foundation – went on to reveal his latest fundraising task, which will begin on the anniversary of Azaylia’s death in April.
The Ex On The Beach star is set to travel between John O’Groats and Land’s End three times – racking up 2,400 miles – on foot, by bike and and by kayak.
He explained: ‘I need to do something which hasn’t been done before in the world, which is going to take a long duration of time, which has the potential to raise a lot of awareness and funds for childhood cancer, especially our new PhD fund which we believe is going to have a big impact for these kids.
‘One thing I said is I cannot stop doing what I’m doing because that little girl is special to me, she’s more than a daughter.
‘She’s somebody I look up to, to give me a reason to be the best person I can be. I love her. I miss her and I will always honour her.’
Ashley – who is raising money for his charity The Azaylia Foundation – went on to reveal his latest fundraising task, which will begin on the anniversary of Azaylia’s death in April
Ashley previously confessed it ‘wasn’t easy’ breaking the news to his ex partner Safiyya Vorajee, saying: ‘It was painful for Safiyya but it was also painful for me as well to talk to her
Ashley previously revealed that the first person he told about his baby news was Azaylia, going to his daughter’s grave to give her the news.
He told The Sun: ‘After going to her resting place and speaking to her about it, I just had a feeling in my heart and in my soul that she was happy for me.
‘She was happy that she had a little brother and it is now just someone else for her to watch over and protect in this world.’
Opening up about how he felt after he received the news he confessed he found it difficult to process, but believes every child is a blessing.
Of finding out that he is expecting a boy, he said: ‘In the back of my head I didn’t really know how to deal or cope with it if it was a little girl. It could have been fine but it could have been heartbreaking all over again and I wasn’t sure.’
Ashley said that Azalyia would have loved a a little brother and he is looking forward to becoming a father again.
He also confessed it ‘wasn’t easy’ breaking the news to his ex partner, saying: ‘It was painful for Safiyya but it was also painful for me as well to talk to her.
‘We haven’t been together for a while now and it is inevitable that at some stage people are going to move on with their lives — that doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends and have an amazing relationship.
‘I know Safiyya will always support me and I will always be there to support Safiyya. It wasn’t an easy conversation or filled with smiles but it was a conversation that had a lot of truth and respect.’
Ashley hasn’t disclosed the identity of his second child’s mother but confirmed that while they are not together they have been friends since they were 18 and dated on and off over the years.
If you are struggling with the loss of a child please contact Sands on 0808 164 3332 or [email protected]
For help and support caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, please contact Together for Short Lives on 0808 8088 100 or visit www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk
A timeline of Azaylia’s six-month leukaemia battle
October 2020: Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of leukaemia, which he described as an ‘uphill battle’.
Heartbreaking: Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of leukaemia in October
Azaylia was turned away by doctors three times and prescribed laxatives and a nasal spray when her breathing was impeded, shortly before her diagnosis.
By the end of the month, the brave child faced her second surgery and 16th chemotherapy-related treatment in less than two weeks.
November 2020: Azaylia’s hair started to fall out just weeks after she was diagnosed.
Doctors informed Ashley and his family that the tot needed a bone marrow transplant and blood donation.
Due to her Caribbean, Burmese, Indian and English background, the footballer said it was very difficult to find a match for a transplant.
Azaylia was brought home for a few days before her second round of chemotherapy.
December 2020: 80,000 people became stem cell donors 48 hours after Ashley appealed for the public’s help.
So sad: Azaylia’s hair started to fall out just weeks after she was diagnosed in November
January 2021: The TV star confirmed a stem cell donor had been found for his baby daughter Azaylia.
She received her stem cell transplant but her cancer sadly returned following a third round of chemotherapy.
February 2021: Azaylia responded well to her stem cell treatment and doctors were impressed with ‘how strong she was’.
She underwent further surgery to discover whether her leukaemia had gone. Later in the month, doctors revealed her cancer had returned.
March 2021: They were told there were ‘very few options’ to help the baby’s condition before she had another bone marrow test. She relapsed by the end of the month and underwent her fourth round of chemotherapy.
Ashley surpassed his target goal of £1million after he set up a GoFundMe to pay for life-saving treatment for his daughter Azaylia.
Heartbreaking: Healthcare professionals revealed Azaylia only had a few days to live as they discovered tumours all over her body
The former Ex On The Beach star took to social media to ask fans for help in donating, explaining the treatment his daughter needed is available in Singapore.
Ashley described the treatment, CAR-T therapy, as ‘the only option to save Azaylia’s life’ and said he and partner Safiyya may have to fly out in a matter of weeks, adding it will take a minimum of one year.
Celebrities such as former TOWIE star Kate Ferdinand, Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague and PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani all donated.
Despite efforts from around the world, pharmaceutical companies could not release the life-saving drugs needed to beat his daughter Azaylia’s battle.
April 2020: Healthcare professionals revealed Azaylia only had a few days to live as they discovered tumours in her stomach, her spleen, her liver and her kidneys, in addition to tumours in her brain.
Her parents bathed her in the hospital for a final time before they returned home.
They marked her turning eight months old by having moulds made of her feet, and Azaylia was met with support from the London Underground and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
She received life-prolonging transfusion after her condition caused profuse bleeding and public figures joined the nationwide clap held in her honour.
Azaylia was nominated for a Pride of Britain award and had a plane draw a heart in the sky for her.
The tot was put on oxygen to aid her sleep, and struggled to open her eyes due to swelling.
Scam artists set up fake Facebook pages in her name, with Ashley admitting: ‘We feel really sad it has come to this’.
Azaylia returned to hospital for another platelet transfusion a few days before she died.
The influencer’s ‘fragile’ daughter stopped breathing and suffered seizures before Ashley confirmed her death.
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