TV personality Ashley Cain, 33, has announced he’s expecting a second child, two years after the heartbreaking loss of his baby girl Azaylia to a rare form of cancer at eight months old.
Cain had Azaylia with ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee but at eight weeks old she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and faced tumors on the lungs, stomach, and kidneys. Despite multiple treatments at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, she passed away on April 24, 2021.
In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, Cain revealed he is expecting another child, sharing the news with his late daughter first. Cain said he visited his late daughter’s grave to share the news of expecting a new baby, indicating that it was important for closure.
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Candidly expressing his emotions, he added that he felt a sense of assurance and believed his daughter would be happy, seeing the new sibling as someone for her to watch over and protect, as reported by Daily Mail.
While preparing for the Yukon 1000, the world’s toughest survival race, Cain received a call in July from a friend he was dating, revealing she was pregnant. Though he hasn’t disclosed the mother’s identity, he mentioned a longstanding friendship since age 18. Admitting difficulty in processing the news, he believes every child is a blessing.
Cain, upon learning he is expecting a boy, said he was overwhelmed with a feeling of uncertainty about how he would have handled the situation if it were a girl. Despite this, he looks forward to becoming a father again, knowing that his late daughter Azalyia would have cherished having a little brother.
However, his joy was tempered by the discovery of a potential heart defect during the 20-week scan, posing a new challenge for the couple. He explained that doctors were unable to identify a connection between one of the valves and the heart during a scan which has brought a lot of worry to him.
Despite the challenges he faced with his late daughter Azaylia, Cain indicated that he plans to undergo a thorough scan immediately after the birth of his son.
Sharing the heartbreaking encounter of his first daughter’s existence, Ashely said the first time he held his daughter surpassed any previous aspirations in his life. But, this dream was shattered when Azaylia was diagnosed with AML leukemia after two months.
He revealed the emotional difficulty of living in fear, unable to sleep at night, and witnessing his once vibrant daughter undergo painful medical procedures like having wires inserted and receiving chemotherapy. He lived in constant fear of waking up one day to the death of his daughter.
He recounted how he dedicated hours to holding her during chemotherapy to reassure her. He expressed the heartbreaking sentiment that he would have preferred enduring personal suffering over witnessing Azaylia’s pain.
Despite global efforts and treatment attempts, including one in Singapore, the required life-saving drugs were not available from pharmaceutical companies, contributing to the challenges in Azaylia’s fight against the disease.
