Ashley Cain has revealed that his seven-month-old daughter Azaylia will be required to undergo another round of chemotherapy amid her battle with leukaemia.
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 is still being treated in the UK during the interim.
And in a heartbreaking update on Wednesday, Ashley revealed that doctors have found ‘blasts of leukaemia forming in her cerebrospinal fluid’ – forcing yet more chemo for his daughter.
Treatment: Ashley Cain has revealed that his seven-month-old daughter Azaylia will be required to undergo another round of chemotherapy amid her battle with leukaemia
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.
‘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 on Wednesday, Ashley revealed that doctors have 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 has revealed their daughter Azaylia is ‘in a lot of pain’ ahead of her potentially lifesaving treatment in Singapore
Keeping her followers updated on their journey, Safiyya detailed the blood transfusion and surgery Azaylia underwent on Tuesday.
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 is still 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 on Tuesday
’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.’
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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 are not releasing the life-saving drugs needed to beat his daughter Azaylia’s leukemia battle.
Ashley, whose baby girl is currently undergoing her fourth round of chemotherapy, took to Instagram on Sunday 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 asked fans for help in donating earlier in the weekend, explaining the treatment his daughter needs is only available in Singapore.
As of Wednesday, the total of his fundraiser for his seven-month-old’s treatment reached £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.
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.
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
Azaylia was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia when she was just two months old.
Ashley said he has spent the first seven 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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