Safiyya Vorajee has shared an empowering message about how spreading awareness for the condition her baby daughter died of has helped others.
Azaylia died at eight months old from a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer – acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) – at her home in Warwickshire in April 2021.
Since her tragic passing, Safiyya, 37, has dedicated her time to raising awareness for the disease as well as striving to fund research into curing AML.
Safiyya recently spoke on a podcast about the signs and symptoms of the disease and her advice may well have saved one of her follower’s lives.
After listening to Safiyya explain how she first noticed Azaylia, who she welcomed with ex Ashley Cain, was unwell, she picked up on her own symptoms.
The message from the affected fan, read: ‘I keep getting bruises on my legs, I assumed it was having a busy five year old and working in childcare, but I remember in a recent podcast you said you noticed a lump under Azaylia’s bruise.
Safiyya Vorajee has shared an empowering message about how spreading awareness for the condition her baby daughter died of has helped others
Azaylia died at eight months old from a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer – acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) – at her home in Warwickshire in April 2021 (pictured Safiyya, Azaylia and Ashley Cain)
Safiyya recently spoke on a podcast about the signs and symptoms of the disease and her advice may well have saved one of her follower’s lives
‘When I noticed the same thing on myself I straight away thought of that comment you made, I went for bloods on Monday and diagnosed with AML on Wednesday!
‘I can’t believe it, I’m terrified for the journey ahead but wanted to say thank you as I wouldn’t have been concerned if I hadn’t heard from you.’
Reflecting on the message, Safiyya said: ‘I always go through my messages as much as I can and try and respond but I have just gone on to my comments section on my YouTube and I have just seen this message from one of my followers…
‘And let me tell you my heart just dropped as I read this, to know that me sharing Azaylia’s journey and speaking on these podcasts and be a voice for the voiceless can really help so many people just really reminds me that I need to continue to share my journey…
‘To share all of these signs and symptoms so it can help people because this lady without me sharing my voice wouldn’t have known, but I will keep her in my prayers and thoughts. Let’s go champ.
She also said in the caption: ‘This message was sent to me and it truly stopped me in my tracks. Sharing my precious baby Azaylia’s journey has always been about spreading awareness, and here is a reminder of why it’s so important.
‘What may seem like “just a bruise” can sometimes be something more. Please always seek medical advice is something doesn’t feel right.
‘To anyone who is battling with their health, or to those who have lost someone they love please know you are always in my prayers.
Reflecting on the message, Safiyya said: ‘I always go through my messages as much as I can and try and respond but I have just gone on to my comments section on my YouTube and I have just seen this message from one of my followers…
The woman who Safiyya was speaking about later commented on the post as she thanked her again for sharing Azaylia’s story
Others credited Safiyya for spreading awareness about AML
‘You are brave, you are strong, and I walk this path beside you. Raising awareness saves lives.’
The woman who Safiyya was speaking about later commented on the post as she thanked her again for sharing Azaylia’s story.
The message said: ‘It was myself who sent that message. If you hadn’t shared Azaylia’s story or continued to talk about her, I wouldn’t have gone to the Dr as my symptoms were so subtle.
‘Unfortunately, I had breast cancer five years ago when I was pregnant, I had five incredible cancer free years with my beautiful family and we even emigrated from the UK to .
‘Being diagnosed with AML was so out of the blue and it’s believed to be caused from the chemo I had that treated the breast cancer, which feels like a cruel joke.
‘Now that I’m aware of how fast moving AML is, you have definitely saved my life. I am absolutely terrified and don’t want to do this journey, but how can I not try when Azaylia fought so hard.’
Azaylia was diagnosed with with acute myeloid leukemia 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.
Safiyya said both she and former Ex On The Beach star Ashley struggled with their grief, however he started to ‘drink quite a lot’ causing them to separate.
Speaking to Paul C Brunson on his We Need To Talk podcast, she said that she ‘waited for him’ to navigate his grief but it became to much for her.
She has also claimed last month that she split from Ashley because he turned to alcohol following the death of their baby daughter Azaylia
Safiyya said: ‘I was like lets ride through this together and he had his own protective armour around him and the feelings and pain he was in, he couldn’t navigate it.
‘I kind of waited for him but he ended up drinking quite a lot and going down that road.
‘I’m not someone who really drinks and I needed him but he needed to be by himself.
‘There is no right and wrong with grief.’
Elsewhere in the chat, Safiyya revealed she gave Ashley a 90 day trial to step away from boozing when they first got together romantically.
At the time, Ashley was doing club appearances and DJing but Safiyya said the only way their relationship would work was if he came home afterwards instead of partying into the early hours.
She explained: ‘I said show me the man I want, I gave him the 90 day test. It was just slowing down the pace of going out and partying, so like go to work, get paid and come home because he used to party after.
‘I was like show me but if you don’t want to, that is fine, but he passed the test with flying colours’.
Daily Mail contacted Ashley’s representatives for comment at the time.
Television personality Ashley, 33, and his ex partner Safiyya, 36, tragically lost their little girl when she was eight months old after she battled a rare form of cancer
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Ashley Cain and his ex Safiyya Vorajee reunite four years after their daughter Azaylia's death
Elsewhere, Safiyya broke down as she opened up about an abusive ex boyfriend who ‘hit and beat her, smashed her car up and removed her closest friends and family from her life’.
Speaking about the unnamed ex, who she said she dated prior to Ashley but did not name, she said: ‘Relationships I’ve had an absolute mess with I ended up in a domestic relationship in my early 20s and I didn’t see that coming from how strong I didn’t see that coming.
‘It was the love bombing, I was feeling lonely and I felt like I needed a partner and even though my career and work were going well I felt empty and like I needed someone.
‘It was like he wants to take me to a fancy hotel and dinners and shopping and holidays and I was like yes I found this guy but these things were coming in gradually where I was like, “oh I thought you’d think like me wearing this” and slowly he was chipping away from me mentally and I thought everything I was doing was wrong and I was shrinking to suit him.’
Recalling one of her horrific incidents, Safiyya said: ‘I was driving in the car and I can’t remember what the disagreement was about but he whacked me straight in the face.
‘I stopped the car and pushed me out of the car and jumped into the drivers seat and I was just left and he drove off with my car and I had to borrow a phone to ring my mum to come collect me to take me home.
‘My mum told me not to go back again but I went back and I felt like it was my fault and it was insane. My mum tried everything to stop me. He was so sorry and he hadn’t done that before and he loved me so much and he’d prove it to me. I stayed for four years.’
Paul asked if the abuse happened again and without hesitation she replied ‘repeatedly’.
If you have been affected by this story please contact Samaritans on 116 123; Alcohol Anonymous on 0800 917 7650 / [email protected]; The Lullaby Trust on: 0808 802 6868 / [email protected]
If you have been affected by this story please contact The Lullaby Trust on: 0808 802 6868 / [email protected]