Two years after The Challenge star Ashley Cain lost his 8-month-old daughter to leukemia, he's paying tribute. This week, Ashley shared a sweet message for her on Instagram, looking back on their funeral after her death on April 24, 2021. This is something no parent should ever have to go through.
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Ashley shared a series of photos from her funeral
He took the opportunity to memorialize his daughter, Azaylia Diamond Cain, and wrote about how his daughter has changed the world for other children with cancer.
"On this day 2 years ago we lay you to rest. But your time on this earth will live on in our words, our hearts and our actions with love, with strength and with heartfelt help for those who need it as part of your magical legacy," he wrote.
He also shared a photo of her memorial
In the picture, Ashley's sitting on a bench near the site where Azaylia is buried, and the area has been decorated with gorgeous floral arrangements and balloons. Ashley admitted it was a "very difficult day" for him, but it was important for him to show up for her.
"I took her flowers, said my prayers, spoke my truths of how I’m feeling without her, and also asked family of the neighbouring resting places if they would mind if I spent a few hours on my kayak erg in the gardens next to her to relieve some emotions, free my mind and show her that daddy is still fighting – in which they were more than happy to give me their blessing," he wrote.
Azaylia's mom shared a message for her daughter, too
Safiyya Vorajee, Azaylia's mother, and Ashley have since broken up, but he was still included in many of the photos in her post, and it seems like they remain important in each other's lives after everything they've been through together.
"My heart pounds with pain everyday with the loss of not having you here on earth, my body aches, to hold you in my arms and kiss that little button nose of yours & to see you smile you made me so complete," she wrote. "You have taught Mummy, daddy the family & community so much."
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Fans followed along with Azaylia's leukemia battle
It was heartbreaking when, in early April 2021, Ashley revealed that Azyalia only had days to live, and that she was coming home from the hospital to spend her remaining time with her parents in the comfort of their home.
"She's had a tough, tough life. From eight weeks old she'd been in hospital having chemotherapy, operations, transplants. And I feel like for the last part of her life, I just want to take her home, see her like a baby and give her the best rest of her life that we can give her," Ashley said in a video on Instagram at the time.
Ashley and Safiyya's loss is unimaginable
It's hard to believe that two years have passed since Azaylia's death, but if you follow these parents on Instagram, you already know that they've both been doing their part to keep her memory alive — including through starting a foundation named after her. Her legacy will live on for years to come.
