Safiyya Vorajee has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her late daughter Azaylia Cain on the fourth anniversary of her death. Azaylia was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia at eight weeks old and sadly died eight months old.
Her parents, ex-Coventry City player turned reality star Ashley Cain and his ex partner Safiyya had raised more than £1.5m in 2021 to fund specialist treatment in Singapore for their daughter, but sadly she died on April 24 just eight months after being born.
Paying tribute to her late daughter on the fourth anniversary of her death, Safiyya, 37, took to Instagram to remember her little girl. Alongside a heartwarming video of Safiyya singing to her baby daughter, she wrote: “4 years ago today heaven gained my princess. This day will always be the most painful of my life. The day you went to heaven, a part of me went with you. My heart broke in a way that can never fully heal but I carry you with me in every heartbeat, every breath, every step.
“Azaylia, in just eight months, you lit up the world. You did more than most of us could do in a lifetime. Your smile, so full of light… your angelic little face, your warrior spirit so brave, so bright. You gave me a love that cracked open my soul and filled it with something pure, something eternal.
“Even though I can’t hold you in my arms anymore, I feel you all around me. In the songs that come on right when I need to hear them. In the quiet breeze that brushes my cheek. In the little signs only you and I would understand. You send me magic from heaven, and I treasure every moment of it.”
Azaylia’s proud mum continued: “You give me strength, Azaylia. You give me courage. You are my hero. Before you, I didn’t know how to truly look up to someone but now, I look up to you every day. And with every tear and every smile, I try to become the woman I know you’d be proud of. I know you’re guiding me, hand in hand, from above.”
Referring to her daughter’s headstone being installed, she continued: “Yesterday, when your crown was finally placed, a single feather drifted into your garden right after everyone had gone. That was your magic. You waited for the quiet, just for me. I felt your sparkle in that moment, and I knew you were there. You always are.
“You shine your light from heaven, and I promise to shine it down here. We’re still connected soul to soul, heart to heart. From heaven to earth, I hear you. I feel you. I love you. And I’ll keep looking up to you, forever and always.
“Earth is temporary baby we will share an eternity together and I’ll be home with you. Azaylia I always sang this song to you as we never stop believing I love you.”
Azaylia died in 2021 at just eight months old after a harrowing leukaemia diagnosis. Her parents, Ashley Cain and Safiyya documented their extraordinary efforts to try and save her life – including raising £1.5 million to fly her to Singapore for specialist treatment.
Sadly further complications with her cancer prevented the trip and, shortly after being taken off her pain medication, little Azaylia died in her parents’ arms.
Many of Ashley’s supporters likely remember the funeral procession he and Safiyya held for her in Nuneaton back in 2021, where mourners flooded the streets to pay their respects. Her tiny coffin was carried in a horse-drawn white carriage, and her parents released orange balloons into the sky as a symbolic act.
Ashley and Safiyya were visibly heartbroken during the procession, walking behind the carriage with personalised umbrellas before joining a car filled with floral arrangements, photos, and cuddly toys.
In a post this week, Ashley described Azaylia as “one of Earth’s most beautiful little princesses, and one of Heaven’s most beloved angels”, writing that she “now has a special crown worthy enough to hold her story”.
“I miss you with a pain that never fades,” he added, “and I love you with a strength that will never end. Forever, with every piece of me – Daddy.” Safiyya previously penned her own tribute, saying: “You are my Angel, my heartbeat, my soul… You will always be with me like a handprint on my heart.”
Since Azaylia’s passing, Ashley has dedicated himself to keeping her memory alive. The former reality star launched The Azaylia Foundation to support families fighting childhood cancer. He has now also welcomed a baby boy, Aliyas, with a new partner.
If you wish to talk to someone about cancer, you can phone Cancer Research UK on 0300 1231022, with opening hours from 8am–6pm, Monday–Friday, or email on supporter.services@cancer.org.uk
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