Ashley Cain has opened up about daughter Azaylia‘s death and revealed a heart-wrenching detail that still haunts him.
His little girl passed away in April 2021 following a battle with leukaemia. She was just eight months old.
Now, 18 months on, former footballer Ashley told Channel 4 viewers earlier today (Tuesday October 18) Azaylia has been a “beacon of hope”.
He also recalled the devastating circumstances of her passing as he appeared on Steph’s Packed Lunch.
Ashley Cain on ‘making the most of last moments’ with his daughter
Former reality TV personality Ashley, 32, shared Azaylia with his then-partner Safiyya Vorajee.
He opened up about being shattered by learning doctors were unable to offer further effective treatment for his daughter.
“Getting told there is nothing else we can do… the best thing you can do is take your daughter home and try and enjoy the last moments… that seems crazy to me,” Ashley told host Steph McGovern.
He continued: “[Told to] enjoy being at home with the most precious baby girl you’ve ever seen in your life. And you’ve got to be the person there to look after her when she passes away.
“You don’t know how she’s going to pass away. You don’t know how much discomfort she’s going to be in. All I could do was make sure I was there at all points.
It’s something I will never get over.
“Azaylia ended up passing away in my and my partner’s arms, which still haunts me to this day. It’s something I will never get over.”
‘I’ve learnt so much from my daughter’
Ashley, who has founded the Azaylia Foundation to advance early diagnosis and treatment availability, went on to hail Azaylia as an inspiration.
He said: “My reality now of visiting my daughter is going down to the cemetery and spending time with her.
“It’s something you will never get over but it’s something that made me realise – you mentioned how smiley Azaylia was – Azaylia was a beacon of light. A beacon of hope, an inspiration for me and the people around her.
“I realise now that I’ve learnt so much from my daughter and I’ve had such a privilege and honour to spend time with her that I cannot waste that in this world.”
“She taught me too much and gave me too much for me to sit down and wallow in self-pity. I need to use what my daughter gave me to help as many people as I can and to make her proud.”
He added: “I don’t want other children to go through what Azaylia went through, I don’t want other parents to have to feel what I feel on a daily basis.”
Read more: Celebrity SAS: Ashley Cain details baby Azaylia’s ‘peaceful’ death
Steph’s Packed Lunch airs weekdays on Channel 4 at 12.30pm.
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