Ashley Cain’s ex Safiyya Vorajee revealed she was paying a visit to her late daughter Azaylia’s grave on Thursday, as the reality star announced he’d welcomed a son.
Safiyya revealed on Instagram Stories she had visited her baby’s resting place to light a candle for her, two years after she tragically died following a battle with leukaemia.
In an earlier post, Safiyya also revealed she was ‘putting on a brave face’ after being flooded with messages of support following Ashley’s baby news.
Ashley revealed he’d welcomed a son named Alias with an old friend, and after sharing the first picture of the newborn, said he’d paid tribute to his late daughter by using her middle name, Diamond.
Shortly before Ashley shared his baby announcement post, Safiyya took to Instagram to share a selfie captioned: ‘A brave face is sometimes all we have when getting by in this world.
Ashley Cain’s ex Safiyya Vorajee revealed she was paying a visit to her late daughter Azaylia’s grave on Thursday, as the reality star announced he’d welcomed a son
On Thrusday, Ashley revealed he’d welcomed a son named Alias with an old friend, and said he’d paid tribute to his late daughter by using her middle name, Diamond
‘If you’re wearing yours today keep going. You’re not alone because I’m wearing mine. Be kind to others you never know what they’re going through.’
She went on to share that she’d been flooded with messages from followers saying they were doing the same thing as she advised them to ‘be gentle’ and try to ‘love yourself a little more each day.’
Later in the day, Safiyya revealed she’d paid a visit to Azaylia’s grave to light a candle, and told her followers that after seeing a stunning sunset, she knew her little girl was watching over her.
She said: ‘I’ve come down to Azaylia’s garden to say a little prayer and light a little candle for her, and check out the orange sunset. I always look for signs from my baby and she’s showed up for me again today.
‘Your angels are always there protecting you and guiding you and holding you tightly all the time.’
On Thursday, Ashley revealed the arrival of his baby son, writing on Instagram: ‘Aliyas Diamond Cain – 16.01.24, 4:32am, 9lbs 3oz.
‘I will love you, appreciate you, guide you and protect you with all of my heart, for the rest of my life.’
Ashley added: ‘You will have the most beautiful guardian angel heaven holds watching over you and protecting you too. Welcome to the world my son.
‘May your body be strong, your mind be wise, your heart be loving and your spirit be pure and truly powerful.’
Shortly before Ashley shared his baby announcement post, Safiyya took to Instagram to share a selfie captioned: ‘A brave face is sometimes all we have when getting by in this world’
She went on to share that she’d been flooded with messages from followers saying they were doing the same thing as she advised them to ‘be gentle’
Later in the day, Safiyya revealed she’d paid a visit to Azaylia’s grave to light a candle, and told her followers that after seeing a stunning sunset, she knew her little girl was watching over her
On Thursday, Ashley revealed the arrival of his baby son, writing on Instagram: ‘ Aliyas Diamond Cain – 16.01.24, 4:32am, 9lbs 3oz’
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.
The Ex On The Beach star’s daughter 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.
Last month, Safiyya said both she and Ashley struggled with their grief and he later moved out of their home in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
She told The Sun on Sunday: ‘He’d had a drink, it was quick and brutal. He said he couldn’t do it any more.’
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.
Safiyya said The Challenge star Ashley turned to drink and fundraising and she put his needs first but craved love and attention from him.
Ashley moved in with his aunt and Safiyya later did the same despite splitting, with the pair having separate rooms in the same house.
READ MORE: Ashley Cain hits back at trolls in angry post after ex Safiyya Vorajee said he ‘brutally’ dumped her
She said she had always got on well with his family and, having known him for so long, saw his loved ones as her own family.
Safiyya claims Ashley then suggested having another baby but she was unsure as she did not want her child to think they’d been born to fill the ‘void’ left by their let firstborn Azaylia.
In June this year, Safiyya moved out of Ashley’s aunt’s home and bought her own property, thinking some space between her and her ex would do them good.
They continued to work on the foundation they’d set up in Azaylia’s name, talking about it every day, and she waited in the hope he would ask her to get back together with him.
But Ashley told her he was having a baby with another woman, although he was not in a relationship with her.
She said: ‘He didn’t tell me who she was and, again, I would not ask.’
Breaking down in tears, she added: ‘That’s the heartbreaking thing about it. Even when he told me, I put him first so he didn’t feel guilty for telling me. Inside I was screaming and crying.’
Safiyya sought help from a therapist in a bid to process her feelings and decided to visit Azaylia’s garden to tell her about what was happening in her life.
However, after she arrived, she could not bring herself to say out loud that Ashley was having a child with someone else.
Speaking last year about becoming a father for the second time, Ashley confessed on 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 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 said that Azalyia would have loved a a little brother and he is looking forward to becoming a father again.
But Ashley’s strength was tested again when the couple discovered at the 20-week scan that their baby has a potential heart defect.
He explained that the doctors couldn’t find the connection between one of the valves and the heart which naturally scared the star.
Although he is worried over his son’s health after his tough journey with Azaylia, he said he will go for a scan as soon as he is born to double check his health.
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 2021: 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.