Time, as it turns out, does not heal all wounds. Not like this.
Not when the wound is just so deep and so very personal.
Such is the tragic case for Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee, the former of whom starred on MTV’s The Challenge.
Ashley then made the worst kind of headlines in October when he told the world that the couple’s baby daughter, Azaylia Diamond, had been diagnosed with leukemia.
The eight-month old then passed away on April 24.
We truly cannot imagine the heartbreak that Cain and his girlfriend, along with many other loved ones, must be feeling right now.
We’re keeping them in our thoughts now, tomorrow, always and forever.
For those unfamiliar with this story, and/or for those seeking an update, we invite you to scroll down and remember Azaylia.
Both Ashley and Safiyya have paid moving, heartbreaking tribute to their late daughter over the last few days.
May she rest in peace.
Rest in Paradise, Azaylia
She had been fighting for her life, and her condition was known, but nothing prepares you for this kind of shock and devastation. The 30-year-old Cain broke the crushing news of his daughter’s death via an Instagram message that read as follows: “Rest In Paradise Princess I will always hold you in my heart until I can hold you again in heaven #AzayliaDiamondCain.”
Added Vorajee at the Time:
Safiyaa Vorajee, the child’s mother and Ashley’s partner, bid the baby farewell with her own touching message: “You are my Angel my heartbeat my soul, RIP my precious baby, you will always be with me like a handprint on my heart.”
Such a Brave Journey
Back in October 2020, Cain – who appeared on MTV’s “The Challenge: War of the Worlds” – revealed that Azaylia had been diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia. According to the National Cancer Institute, the disease is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many abnormal white cells.
Hope …
It looked for a time like things might be turning around for the little angel. Then on April 8, after keeping fans apprised of his daughter’s progress and prognosis, Cain said the cancer spread to her brain, stomach, spleen, lungs and kidneys.
… and Heartbreak
It was jarring news, to put it mildly. Doctors didn’t give her long to live and told the couple to cherish whatever time they had left with her.
A Defiant Dad
“I’ll tell you one thing, I ain’t got no plans for going anywhere this weekend,” Cain wrote on social media after being told to “make the most” of the time he had left, adding to his fans, and to himself: “I’m an optimist. I’m a believer,” he told fans, after hearing from physicians. I have a positive mind frame and I know her strength and I know mine.”
Living Life to the Fullest
Azaylia, seen here with the parents on Christmas, went home with her mom and dad and got to experience many of the jobs of infant-hood: she went on walks in the neighborhood for the first time… played in a jumper … and got fed her in her high chair.
Two Special Weeks…
Those two weeks were eventful, in their own way. It was all quote-unquote normal activities for a baby girl, but each step took on extra meaning for her parents, knowing they might not have too many such moments like these remaining.
… And Then She Was Gone
Before long, the baby succumbed to the disease, and as any parent who has endured that kind of tragedy knows, there are no words to describe it. “My heart is shattered,” wrote Cain on Monday, April 26, addressing his late loved one as follows: “You gave my life purpose, my face a smile, filled my heart with love and my soul with pride.”
Continued Cain:
“I can’t put into words my sadness and pain, there aren’t words to describe it,” he said, attempting to put into words what there are no words capable of conveying. “I love you with every ounce of my body and I miss you so much already. You made me a better man. You made me the person I’ve always wanted to be. You’ve taught me more in your 8 months than I’ve learned my whole life.”
It Just Makes No Sense
“I don’t know why you’ve been taken away from me and my heart aches in your absence,” added Cain, reflecting on the hopelessness we feel when faced with our own mortality, and that of our children. “But I promise you that your name with live on. I will carry your name across every ocean, along every road, to the top of every mountain and across the whole globe.”
Concluded Cain in This Tribute:
She may be gone from this world, but she will never be forgotten. Cain said, “Your name will live, your legacy will be remembered.”
Until We Meet Again
Cain told his fallen angel that he will do his best to live up to his potential, in her honor. “I will seek peace in living as your vessel to continue inspiring, giving strength, spreading joy and saving lives in your name, with your spirit, as your father until we meet again,” he said.
A Mother’s Grief
For her part, the child’s mother had a tribute of her own. Vorajee thanked the couple’s fans for their support, first of all.
Helping Her Get Through This
“I would like to take a moment out of my day to thank each and everyone of you for your heart felt messages, amazing videos that you have created for us,” she began in a statement posted to her Instagram Stories, also on April 26. “It’s so beautiful.”
Thank You… to Everyone
Hard as it can be to power through in the wake of such a tragedy, she knows she must, and her angel is the one giving her the inspiration. “Everyday is getting harder but Azaylia taught me such strength, and courage which she held 100 percent now I need to make her proud and do the same,” Vorajee continued. “A special Thank you to beautiful Azaylia for teaching all of us the true meaning of life.”
The Honor of a Lifetime
Vorajee concluded her post with a message to her late daughter, writing that above all else, and while their time together was cut short, “I’m honoured to be your mummy. Enjoy paradise baby & enjoy your new angels wings.”
It Was All Worthwhile.
It was all worth it, she said. Even the heartbreak. “It’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no breaks, but it’s all worth it,” Cain wrote in an Instagram story post just prior to his little girl’s passing, and she wasn’t finished.
Every Single Second.
“Because guess what? She woke up again this morning. She’s still with us today and all the hard work we’re putting in now is worth the reward in the end. We get that little smile, her eyes opening, it’s amazing.”
May Azaylia Rest in Perpetual Peace
No words can make anything about this tragic situation any better. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. We send our condolences to Cain, Vorajee and all affected by this tragedy.