Ashley Cain shared footage of himself giving his ailing eight-month-old daughter Azaylia her final hospital bath on Friday, as he prepared to take her home.
Just a day before, the reality star, 30, shared a heartbreaking video revealing he and the tot’s mother Safiyya Vorajee were bringing their little girl home to make her comfortable after learning doctors had found tumours throughout her body.
And as he faces up to the harrowing prognosis that his adorable child has just days to live, Ashley paid tribute to the brave youngster as he admitted: ‘I don’t know what I will do without you.’
Heartbreaking: Ashley Cain shared footage of himself giving his ailing eight-month-old daughter Azaylia her final hospital bath on Friday, as he prepared to take her home
In the video, the doting dad was seen gently splashing the water around Azaylia as she looked up at her dad adoringly while sitting in a small tub on the hospital ward.
Captioning the footage, he wrote: Azaylia’s last bath in hospital, before we take her home where she belongs. ❤️
‘9 days ago consultants told us my daughter had 1-2 days to live, but thought she may pass that evening. Even with a barbaric disease consuming her blood, tumours in her brain and organs and amounts of pain I cannot imagine…
‘She is still battling through 9 days later, with parts of the day with nothing but smiles despite her discomfort.
Bonding: In the video, the doting dad was seen gently splashing the water around Azaylia as she looked up at her dad adoringly while sitting in a small tub on the hospital ward
‘This is a testament of this little girls strength and the fight she has possessed all of the way through. She has fought a battle that not many, if any, of us could have endured and she’s earned the love and respect of many on the way.
‘The truth is though, I hope and pray that I have earned hers! Even through the hardest and saddest time of my life, she has found a way to make it better.
‘She has shined light on the darkest of days and she has opened my heart to amounts of love I couldn’t believe possible! ❤️
‘The truth is, I don’t know what I will do without you. But for now, I find strength in giving you the best of me, and the only me that you deserve! ❤️
‘You are in my arms, my thoughts, my prayers and my heart everyday my princess. YOU’RE MY HERO! ✊ DADDY LOVES YOU! ❤️’
In a post on Thursday, Ashley said that Azaylia, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia six months ago, can no longer fly to Singapore for treatment after discovering the tumours, and vowed to make her final days ‘as fun as they can;.
Sad: Ashley Cain has spent his last night in hospital with his eight-month-old daughter Azaylia, as the family prepare to return home after learning she could have just days to live
After sharing his moving video, Ashley took to Instagram Stories to share a snap of him kissing his daughter as they lay in the hospital bed together.
He wrote: ‘Last night in here before we take you home baby,’ along with a broken heart emoji.
Safiyya then shared a similar image with her baby girl in the bed, writing: ‘My hero.’
Ashley marked his last night in hospital with little Azaylia after revealing the tot has just days to live amid her devastating battle with leukaemia.
He took to Instagram on Thursday where he shared a heartbreaking video in which he explained what was happening, revealing to fans that they’re taking their little girl back home from hospital to make her as comfortable as possible.
Upsetting: The reality star shared a heartbreaking Instagram video on Thursday revealing he and the tot’s mum Safiyya Vorajee (pictured) were bringing their little girl home
Devastating: In the emotional post, Ashley added that Azaylia can no longer fly to Singapore for treatment, and vowed to make her final days ‘as fun as they can.’
Speaking outside of the hospital, the TV star told his followers: ‘Where do I start? Where do I start? A lot has happened. A whole lot. Too much to write in a caption, too much to explain in a picture, so I thought I’d do a video.
‘So last week we had the bone marrow test and the lumber puncture and bloods taken to send to Singapore in the hope that they could create a CAR T therapy to save Azaylia’s life.
‘Then we had to have a CT scan on her head and the results came back the next day, saying that Azaylia’s got two very big tumours on her brain.
‘They also said that the intrathecal treatment that is usually given to treat leukemia in the spine or the brain will not be available, because she has too much pressure with these tumours. And if they tried to even go through the spinal tap it would kill her. At that point, obviously, our world came down.
Family: The reality star took to Instagram on Thursday where he shared a heartbreaking video in which he explained what was happening (Pictured with Azaylia’s mum Safiyya Vorajee)
Heartbreaking: Ashley revealed that little Azaylia cannot fly to Singapore for treatment as doctors have discovered tumours throughout her tiny body
‘Because obviously, the current chemotherapy that we were doing was for her blood, not the tumours in her brain.
‘Consultants said that they think she’s only got one, two days to live, and it could even be that night. So, we took Azaylia home with the palliative care team and stuff.
‘It was scary. You walk into your little daughter’s room and there’s big oxygen tanks and stuff like that and it was horrible.
‘We took her home. She was on high levels of pain relief and we tried to enjoy every little bit we could, but it was tough. We got through the first night, we got through the second night, but we noticed that Azaylia wasn’t really here properly.
‘As a parental instinct, I told my girlfriend, I said: “Let’s take her off her pain relief”. So we took her off the pain relief and the next morning she was as bright as a button, she had her sharpness back, she was responding to everything.
Poor baby: Doctors have found tumours in Azaylia’s stomach, her spleen, her liver and her kidneys, in addition to tumours in her brain. And sadly, the chemotherapy isn’t working
‘And we sat there, and we thought: “this disease is not killing our daughter. We need to do everything that we can do to save this girl’s life.”
‘And so I rang up the consultant at hospital and said: “We’re coming back in, we’re carrying on with treatment and we’re getting her to Singapore.”
Ashley said he told consultants in hospital that he has always been a fighter and always will be, adding: ‘My daughter is a product of me: through nature, via nurture. That means she’ll be a fighter too.’
The TV star touched on how some parents might be more comfortable at home with their child, but explained that it would ‘break him’ to stay at home knowing his daughter is dying and he’s not doing anything about it.
Fighter: Ashley told consultants: ‘My daughter is a product of me: through nature, via nurture. That means she’ll be a fighter too’
The father-of-one continued relaying his conversation with doctors, explaining that he told them: ‘Azaylia had one in four hundred trillion chance of being Azaylia, and you only get one chance at life…
‘So we, I are gonna do everything we possibly can do preserve hers, ’cause when you’re gone, you’re gone… But it’s how you wanna be remembered when you’re gone.
‘She’s fought a hard tough fight the whole way through, so I wanna honour that and give her the best chance of survival.’
Too rare: Ashley revealed to his followers that doctors in Singapore have now said that Azaylia’s condition is too rare to treat
Ashley then told his followers that they took Azaylia back into hospital and were exploring treatment options.
He said: ‘We’ve been back in hospital the last three four days. We’ve been pushing, fighting for options and we made steps forwards.’
‘She’s currently on the drug that we fought to get. We’re talking about potential options of radiotherapy to target the tumours in her head.
‘They don’t usually get radiotherapy to children under three but they were potentially willing to make an exception potentially, after talks.’
After taking a deep breath, Ashley explained that they had an ultrasound scan yesterday and the results came back today revealing that they found tumours throughout her body.
Going home: Holding back tears, the doting dad continued: ‘So that means we’re going back home. We’re going back home and, we’re gonna try and make our baby as comfortable as possible…
Ashley told fans: ‘They found tumours in her stomach her spleen her kidneys, as well as the tumours in her brain, and the chemotherapy’s not working.
‘Her disease is that aggressive that nothing they are doing… Nothing’s working.
‘And then, to make it worse, the consultants got an email from Singapore, and because Azaylia’s literally one in a trillion – she literally is she’s so special, she’s one in a trillion – but unfortunately so is her disease. In Singapore they can’t create a CAR T for her leukemia.
Holding back tears, the doting dad continued: ‘So that means we’re going back home. We’re going back home and, we’re gonna try and make our baby as comfortable as possible…
‘And we’re gonna have as much fun as we can with her as possible. And I thought that…
Fighter! Ashley explained that he told his girlfriend: ‘We’re gonna smile, we’re gonna be strong and we’re gonna go out with honour’
Champ! ‘She’s had a tough, tough life. From eight weeks old she’d been in hospital having chemotherapy, operations, transplants…’ said Ashley of his incredible little girl
When you hear of all the other kids in the hospital they just wanna be at home, but Azaylia doesn’t have a voice yet. I think if she had a voice, she’d wanna be at home too. So we’re gonna take her home.’
Ashley told fans that he forced himself and his partner to get up, get dressed, eat and clean up, adding: ‘We’re gonna smile, we’re gonna be strong and we’re gonna go out with honour.
At the end of the harrowing video, while on the verge of weeping the reality star said: ‘She’s had a tough, tough life. From eight weeks old she’d been in hospital having chemotherapy, operations, transplants…
‘And I feel like, for the last part of her life I just want to take her home. See her like a baby and give her the best rest of her life that we can give her. And that’s it.
Sad news: Safiyya also took to Instagram to share the news in a lengthy caption alongside a photograph of herself and Ashley in hospital with baby Azaylia
Ashley took a moment to collect himself, and then confessed: ‘I’ve been strong the whole way through this, but this last week I’ve been numb… Numb to the core.
‘I’ve been upset, I’ve been sad, I’ve been depressed, I’ve been heartbroken. Some days I don’t even know where I am.
‘But I think right about now I’ve got to step up more than ever and be stronger than I’ve been the whole time, because I’m doing it for her. She needs to see her daddy smiling, she needs to see her mummy smiling. And that’s it.
Ashley ended his video with a message of gratitude for his fans, saying: ‘Thank you for all the love and support guys, honestly. I’m gonna go back into hospital now, to take my baby home.’
The media personality and his partner Safiyya Vorajee recently raised more than £1.5 million to fund a trip to Singapore for potentially life-saving transplant, but she was being treated in the UK during the interim.
Honoured: ‘I am so proud of my baby girl she has been fighting for so so long… I’m incredibly honoured to have become a mummy to my precious girl’ wrote Safiyya
Safiyya also took to Instagram to share the news in a lengthy caption alongside a photograph of herself and Ashley in hospital with baby Azaylia.
She penned: ‘With a heavy painful heart I share the saddest news of my life…’ before confirming that which her boyfriend had told his followers.
Of the planned treatment in Singapore which is now no longer possible, Safiyya wrote: ‘This was our last, our only and our final option to save Azaylia and her disease was even too complex for them.
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‘So we will be now returning home with our beautiful baby to give her the best possible time left that we can.
Devoted: Beneath Safiyya’s heartfelt caption, Ashley wrote of their daughter: ‘She has made me a better man, a proud, strong father and imprinted on me for life!’
‘I am so proud of my baby girl she has been fighting for so so long, and doesn’t deserve for this to happen to her!
‘There isn’t enough words out there to describe the heartache and pain I’m feeling but I’m incredibly honoured to have become a mummy to my precious girl.’
Beneath Safiyya’s heartfelt caption, Ashley commented: ‘We have fought an incredible fight. None of us more than our beautiful baby girl. She made us smile, she kept us strong and she always gave us hope.
‘I’ve never ever been happier, more devoted and in love than this last 8 months. She has made me a better man, a proud, strong father and imprinted on me for life! You gave us so much, now it’s time to go home!’
Supportive friends: Ashley’s celebrity pals rushed to send messages of love and support to him amid what is the most devastating time
Ashley’s celebrity pals rushed to send messages of love and support to him amid what is the most devastating time.
Charlotte Crosby wrote beneath his video: ‘God ash I am so so so so so sorry. Wow my heart is breaking,’ while Holly Hagan added: ‘ I’m so so sorry and sending all the love and prayers in the world.’
Love Islander Shaughna Phillips penned: ‘No sense, no reason and no justice in this world at all. Your beautiful darling girl has the heart of a lion, and she could not have been more blessed to have parents like you and @miss_safiyya_ .
‘You have both shown the world what the true meaning of love is, everything that was asked of you, you did. I pray so much you that you find strength to enjoy your precious daughter at home, and just know you all have the love of the country and beyond.’
Theo Campbell wrote: ‘Really no words,’ and Alex Bowen added: ‘I’m so so sorry brother sending love to you all.’
Lauren Goodman shared: ‘I’m so sorry! My heart is broken for you all. Sending you all my love and strength. You’ve done the best you could xx she has been so brave and tough!’ while her sister Chloe Goodman added: ‘No words completely heartbroken for your family.’
New mum Charlotte Dawson commented: ‘Ash no I’m so so sorry. She is the most bravest little angel, fought so hard. You are the best parents ever.’
Pop star Aston Merrygold wrote: ‘So sorry man! sending you guys love,’ while Olivia Bowen penned: ‘I am so sorry, there are no words. You have all been so brave, sending all my love you and your beautiful baby girl Azaylia – she stole the hearts of us all.’
Other celebs flooded Safiyya’s heartbreaking post with messages of love goodwill amid Azaylia’s last days.
Lisa Maffia wrote: ‘Sending you so much love and strength. I am praying so much for you all. Your beautiful babygirl will be well looked after and I pray to meet her in another life. I hope you get as long as possible together and just know that my whole family are thinking of you every second. Love you all.’
Jessica Hayes shared: ‘I’m so sorry just no words sending love and strength always . Holding you all in my thoughts xxxxxxxxxx.’
Wayne Lineker commented: ‘There are no words. My daughter tia had to have a blood test today as she has bruises to her little finger and as A devoted parent I was naturally concerned but what you guys are going through and have been through is incredible compared. Ashley has been my friend for many years and he is a beautiful man I am just so so sorry.’
Comments from celebs: Other celebs flooded Safiyya’s heartbreaking post with messages of love goodwill amid Azaylia’s last days
At the end of March, Ashley revealed that his daughter Azaylia would be required to undergo another round of chemotherapy amid her battle with leukaemia.
And in a heartbreaking update, Ashley revealed that doctors have found ‘blasts of leukaemia forming in her cerebrospinal fluid’ – forcing yet more chemo for his daughter.
Taking to Instagram to share a snap of himself with his daughter, Ashley wrote: ‘Azaylia had to go into theatre yesterday, for a bone marrow test to read her leukaemia count, plus, a lumber puncture to extract samples to send off to Singapore.
Treatment: Last month, Ashley revealed that Azaylia would be required to undergo another round of chemotherapy amid her battle with leukaemia
‘After that, doctors had to take 60ml of blood from her followed by a 4 hour blood transfusion. Later, she had chemotherapy with two separate drugs: Azacitidine and the drug we’ve been working tirelessly to get hold of, Venetoclax.
‘That was a tough enough because of Azaylia’s pain and discomfort from the multiple procedures. Until we got told by consultants, that they had found blasts of leukaemia forming in her Cerebrospinal fluid, which can result in it finding the brain!’
He explained: ‘This now means that Azaylia will now have to have another form of chemotherapy intrathecally, through the spinal tap to attack the leukaemia and protect her brain.
Update: In an update, Ashley revealed that doctors had found ‘blasts of leukaemia forming in her cerebrospinal fluid’ – forcing yet more chemo for his daughter
‘This means today she will be having a CT scan on her head to make sure we can go through with this intrathecal procedure tomorrow.’
Touching on the strain of the experience on the family, he concluded: ‘With 3 hours sleep in 2 days, the reality is that, there are no days off on this journey, no time out periods and no single second without worry or fear.
‘If you asked me a year ago, I would’ve never imagined how strong I could or would have to be. That being said, you never really know how strong you are, until being strong is your only option. ❤️’
A day before, his partner Safiyya Vorajee revealed their daughter Azaylia is ‘in a lot of pain’ ahead of her planned treatment in Singapore.
Upsetting: Ashley’s partner Safiyya Vorajee revealed their daughter Azaylia was ‘in a lot of pain’
Keeping her followers updated on their journey, Safiyya detailed the blood transfusion and surgery which Azaylia underwent.
Addressing her followers from the hospital, Safiyya explained: ‘We’ve got a heavy morning today, we are getting a bone marrow test done and then Azaylia needs 60ml of blood taken from her.
‘She needs to have a blood transfusion so that they can send the blood over to Singapore. She’s very swollen this morning, she’s on lots of fluid as that keeps the leukaemia from sticking.’
Determined: Safiyaa and partner Ashley Cain recently raised more than £1.5 million to fund the trip but she was being treated in the UK during the interim
Speaking about the emotional toll it has taken on her, Safiyya continued: ‘Watching your daughter being put to sleep, again, really pulls another level of heartstrings.
‘These days feel so long and tough, but you’d do anything for your child – you don’t care about how you are yourself.
‘So many people ask how are you feeling, and we have one destination and that is to get to Singapore and get through this.’
Thankfully, the blood transfusion and operation went smoothly, with Safiyya later updating fans: ‘The procedures are all done and we are currently on a blood transfusion. Azaylia has recovered, she had to have blood taken from her.
Update: Keeping her followers updated on their journey, Safiyya detailed the blood transfusion and surgery Azaylia underwent
’60ml can leave you very anemic and your blood pressure and heart rate can go anywhere while blood’s being taken from your body but luckily Azaylia was very stable.’
She then wrote: ‘What a tough day she’s had, bless her. She’s been in a lot of pain today.’
While Ashley shared a clip of his little girl captioned: ‘The amount this little girl has battled through today.’
He later added: ‘One hour sleep with this little one last night. She went through the whole lot of procedures yesterday and she’s really feeling it.
Heartbreaking: Ashley later shared a clip of his little girl in hospital captioned, ‘The amount this little girl has battled through today’
‘Three hours sleep in the last two days. There are no days off or times out on this journey. We’re going to get you across that line baby’.
It comes after Ashley revealed pharmaceutical companies were not releasing the life-saving drugs needed to beat his daughter Azaylia’s leukemia battle.
Ashley, whose baby girl was undergoing her fourth round of chemotherapy at the time, took to Instagram to admit he’s in ‘heavy talks’ with consultants and doctors in an attempt to change the businesses’ decision.
The reality star said: ‘We found out today that one of the essential drugs we need tomorrow to bring her leukemia counts down and get her into remission is not being released by the pharmaceutical companies.
Update: The following morning, Ashley revealed it had been a sleepless night for all as Azaylia recovered, with the EOTB star promising to get his daughter ‘across the line’
‘Not only today have I been looking after Azaylia, but going through heavy talks with consultants, doctors and the companies themselves to try and get this essential drug that Azaylia needs.’
The media personality had previously asked fans for help in donating, explaining the treatment his daughter needs is only available in Singapore.
The total of his fundraiser for his eight-month-old’s treatment reached over £1.5million, following donations from Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague and Maura Higgins.
Ashley penned a detailed account of Azaylia’s health battle on his GoFundMe page and said that any extra funds the couple receive will be donated to other families in a similar situation to them.
Fighting for her: Azaylia was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia when she was just two months old and her parents have fought to save her life
According to the NHS, it is a ‘highly complex and potentially risky treatment’ but has been shown in trials to cure some patients when other treatments have failed.
Azaylia was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia when she was just two months old.
Ashley said he has spent the first eight months of fatherhood under Covid-19 restrictions in hospital as his daughter fought the cancer.
Doctors told the TV star and his partner Safiyya that chemotherapy would not be enough to cure Azaylia.
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