Ashley Cain Reveals He Is to Become a Father Again 2 Years After Daughter Azalyia Died from Cancer

Ashley Cain is set to become a father for the second time.

Challenge The 33-year-old star revealed he is expecting another child, two years after the tragic death of his 8-month-old daughter Azaylia Diamond, who had leukemia, in 2021.

In a new interview with Sun on SundayCain said he is expecting a son with the woman he dated earlier this year and has known since he was 18.

“I got a text saying she needed to talk to me so I went up to her and she told me she was pregnant – I can’t put into words how that feels,” Cain told the news outlet.

“I believe, after I had Azaylia, that I was put on this earth to be a father. And then the thought of potentially having another child after losing one was very difficult for me to understand,” he also said.

Ashley Cain at the European premiere of “Creed III” at Cineworld Leicester Square on February 15, 2023 in London, England.

Joe Maher/Getty

Ashley Cain pays tribute to late daughter Azaylia on what would have been her nine-month birthday

Cain added, “Although this next part of my journey will be difficult, I truly understand that every child that comes into this world is a blessing.”

A representative for Cain did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The Ex on the beach alum shared the devastating news of Azaylia’s death on social media in April 2021. The eight-month-old was diagnosed with a “very rare and aggressive form” of cancer in October 2020, which returned in February 2021 after a bata-cell transplant.

Azaylia was initially diagnosed with leukemia when she was just two months old, and Cain has continued to document his journey to find a potentially life-saving treatment for his little girl on social media, sharing regular updates with his followers.

In early April 2022, the former soccer player shared a video on Instagram in which he revealed that doctors had discovered cancerous tumors on his daughter’s body and that her chemotherapy was “not working.” He also explained that further treatment will no longer be possible.

Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee with their daughter Azaylia. Ashley Cain/instagram

Later that month, on April 25, he and ex-girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee, Azayli’s mom, shared the devastating news that their daughter had tragically died.

“Rest in heaven princess 👼🏼🌈 I will always hold you in my heart until I can hold you in heaven again ❤️😢 #AzayliaDiamondCain,” he wrote in his heartfelt tribute on Instagram.

Vorajee also shared an emotional message to her late daughter, writing on Instagram: “You are my angel my heartbeat my soul RIP my precious baby you will always be with me like a hand print on my heart.”

Ashley Cain says daughter Azaylia’s funeral was ‘the hardest day of my life’

In a clip from an interview with Sun shared on his Instagram page, a visibly emotional Cain talked about visiting Azaelia’s grave and reflected on the kind of father he wanted to be to her, and he wanted to be to his new son.

“The first thing I did was go down and talk to her about it. When I thought about what my life would be like with Azaelia, I always wanted it to be… to follow the trend as it started. I wanted to be present in her life,” he partially explained.

He later continued, “I always wanted to be there, by her side, no matter what. And I wanted her to be able to believe in me. I wanted her to know that I would always keep the promise I made to her. . . so now is no different .”

“When I found out, I went and talked to Azaelia about it,” he said, adding, “I believe that was a big part of what made me feel positive after that, I feel like she was the main person that I I need to talk to him myself,” he said.

Elsewhere in the interview, he explained that he felt uplifted after the experience.

“After I went to her resting place and talked to her about it, I just had a feeling in my heart and in my soul that she was happy for me,” Ex on the beach said the star.

In comments to the online article, he added that telling ex Vorajee, who he divorced in 2022 but remains close to, was also “painful” even though he knows she will “always support him”.

Speaking about finding out the gender of his second child, Cain said he “didn’t know how to deal with it if it was a girl” and that it “could have been heartbreaking again.”

Ashley Cain and ex-girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee with their daughter Azaylia. Safiyya Vorajee/instagram

“She would still be a blessing, and I would still be in a good place and the best dad – it would just be a little more pain to navigate,” he told Sun. “Now that means I have a girl and a boy, which is perfect for me. Azaylia would love a little brother.”

Cain shared that he was dealt another blow as doctors spotted a “potential heart defect” in his unborn son during the 20-week shoot.

“They couldn’t find a connection between one of the valves and the heart so it was another very difficult period for me,” he told the news outlet. “I’ve already been through a really tough time with Azaylia. I had already lost a child and I was worried and scared that it might happen again.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free weekly newsletter to get the week’s biggest stories delivered to your inbox every Friday.

He explained that after the final examination, the doctors informed them that “they think everything will be fine”, and that his son will have to be scanned again for “double checks” after birth.

“I want to be a hero to my son, because of the hero I have in heaven,” he said, adding, “I know this is going to be hard and difficult, but it’s also going to be gloriously beautiful.”

Cain also shared his feelings about the future, saying, “I’m really, really excited and happy and I can’t wait to see what this next installment brings.”

He and Vorajee founded the charity The Azalyia Foundation in 2021 after their daughter’s death. According to the organisation’s website, the charity’s work includes “donating to facilities in the UK that improve early diagnosis and the availability of new treatments, and working with our community and other organizations to raise public awareness and campaign for change”.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education