Tom Parker has spoken of his sadness at learning of the death of Ashley Cain’s eight-month-old daughter Azaylia, following her courageous battle with leukaemia.
TV personality Ashley, 30, took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon to share the tragic news that he had lost his daughter the day before after a long social media silence.
And The Wanted star Tom, 32 – who is bravely battling a terminal brain tumour – took to Instagram to admit that he was certain little Azaylia would have ‘pulled through’.
Devastated: Tom Parker has spoken of his sadness at learning of the death of Ashley Cain’s eight-month-old daughter Azaylia, following her courageous battle with leukaemia
Sharing a video of himself looking devastated, the father-of-two said on his Instagram Story: ‘I can’t even go on Instagram today. I’m so sad.
‘I thought little Azaylia was gonna f***ing do it. I thought she was gonna pull through. It shouldn’t happen to kids. It shouldn’t happen to anyone.’
Tom’s statement comes as he continues to battle a terminal brain tumour after being diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma in September 2020.
Tom, who is currently receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has confirmed that he is ‘responding well’ to treatment and his tumour has shrunk ‘significantly’.
‘Rest in paradise, Princess’: Ashley Cain’s daughter Azaylia passed away at eight months old on Saturday, following a heartbreaking battle with leukaemia
The Glad You Came hitmaker is a father-of-two to daughter Aurelia, 17 months, and son Bodhi, and shares his young children with wife Kelsey, 30.
Kelsey recently revealed the couple’s children are too young to understand ‘how ill their dad actually is’.
Speaking during an appearance on Loose Women earlier this month, she said: ‘I just think that they don’t really know that daddy is ill at the moment. When Tom goes off to treatment, he’s off or he’s going to work or wherever he’s going.
‘So to them, they don’t really know how ill their dad actually is. They’re doing so well, the kids. We’re all doing really well.’
Despite Tom’s shock diagnosis, Kelsey said he is doing ‘really well’ after the family were thrilled to learn the tumour had ‘significantly reduced’ in January.
The Wanted star Tom, 32 – who is bravely battling a terminal brain tumour – took to Instagram to admit that he was certain little Azaylia would have ‘pulled through’.
Fight: Brave musician continues to battle a terminal brain tumour after being diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma in September 2020
Family: The Glad You Came hitmaker is a father-of-two to daughter Aurelia, 17 months, and son Bodhi, and shares his young children with wife Kelsey Hardwick, 30 (pictured)
She explained: ‘Tom’s doing really well. We had a meeting last Thursday and he’s just had another stable scan, so he’s doing so well.
‘We’ve only just started our second round [of chemotherapy], so we’ve had radio and chemo, we’ve had a bit of a break, because he had a bit of a dodgy liver, and now we’ve just started the second round of chemo.
‘The tumour has shrunk, we’ve had a significant reduction. We were all just in tears when we got that news in January.
‘We just couldn’t believe it, that he’d had radio and chemo and he’s had a significant reduction after that. We were just all so overwhelmed.’
Meanwhile, on revealing that his daughter Azaylia had passed away after battling acute myeloid leukaemia, Ashley wrote: ‘Rest In Paradise Princess. I will always hold you in my heart until I can hold you again in heaven ❤️ #AzayliaDiamondCain.’
Tragic: Former footballer Ashley, 30, and his girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee, 34, had been updating fans on their baby girl’s health condition (pictured earlier this year)
Former footballer Ashley and his girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee, 34, had been updating fans on their baby girl’s health condition since she was diagnosed with the rare form of blood cancer at just two months old.
The couple recently raised more than £1.5 million to fund a trip to Singapore for life-saving transplant, but their little one became too unwell and doctors discovered tumours throughout her body.
Azaylia – who inspired her father’s powerful ‘let’s go champ’ message – underwent four rounds of chemotherapy in her fight and was recently nominated for a Pride Of Britain Award by thousands of supporters around the world.
The ex Coventry City winger and the aesthetic practitioner uploaded similar images of themselves cradling their little one before she passed.
Azaylia’s mother Safiyya shared two photos cuddling her beloved daughter, with the caption: ‘You are my Angel my heartbeat my soul, RIP my precious baby, you will always be with me like a handprint on my heart.’
‘You are my angel, my heartbeat, my soul’: Azaylia mother Safiyya also shared two photos cuddling her beloved daughter
Celebrities including Kate Ferdinand, Jacqueline Jossa and Malin Andersson sent their condolences to the grieving influencer and his family.
The brave child had suffered seizures throughout the week, with her parents being told to ‘make the most of this weekend’.
The media personality updated his Instagram biography with the words: ‘Rest in Paradise Princess, Azaylia Diamond Cain, Forever In My Heart, 10.08.20 – 24.04.21’.
Azaylia’s six-month battle with leukaemia inspired people all over the world, with more than 100,000 people joining the stem cell register.
Her story attracted global support – with Hollywood superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sending a video to Azaylia and her family.
Heartbreaking: The brave child had suffered seizures throughout the week, with her parents being told to ‘make the most of this weekend’ (pictured earlier this week)
‘Sending you so much love’: Celebrities including Kate Ferdinand, Jacqueline Jossa and Malin Andersson sent their condolences to the grieving influencer and his family
‘My heart has broken’: Molly-Mae Hague took to her Stories by reposting a quote from Ashley’s page, which said: ‘She’s proof that you can walk through hell and still be an angel’
On Friday, Safiyya had said she felt ‘blessed’ to have another day with Azaylia, telling her followers: ‘Azaylia had another turn. But she’s now rested and asleep and literally it makes your heart race with anxiety.’
Laying next to her poorly daughter, the doting mother continued: ‘But she gets through another day, blessed, my princess. And I feel so blessed. I am lucky to spend another day with you Azaylia. Every day is precious with you.’
The Ex On The Beach star told his fans his tot ‘stopped breathing’, became ‘stiff as a board’ and needed oxygen while they headed out for a walk.
In a lengthy caption, the social media star revealed his daughter needed the help of his palliative care nurses and oxygen after having a seizure.
He wrote: ‘We had our own little adventure today, even if it was just walking up and down the street. It was special!
A timeline of Azaylia’s six-month leukaemia battle
October 2020: Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of leukaemia, which he described as an ‘uphill battle’.
Heartbreaking: Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of leukaemia in October
Azaylia was turned away by doctors three times and prescribed laxatives and a nasal spray when her breathing was impeded, shortly before her diagnosis.
By the end of the month, the brave child faced her second surgery and 16th chemotherapy-related treatment in less than two weeks.
November 2020: Azaylia’s hair started to fall out just weeks after she was diagnosed.
Doctors informed Ashley and his family that the tot needed a bone marrow transplant and blood donation.
Due to her Caribbean, Burmese, Indian and English background, the footballer said it was very difficult to find a match for a transplant.
Azaylia was brought home for a few days before her second round of chemotherapy.
December 2020: 80,000 people became stem cell donors 48 hours after Ashley appealed for the public’s help.
So sad: Azaylia’s hair started to fall out just weeks after she was diagnosed in November
January 2021: The TV star confirmed a stem cell donor had been found for his baby daughter Azaylia.
She received her stem cell transplant but her cancer sadly returned following a third round of chemotherapy.
February 2021: Azaylia responded well to her stem cell treatment and doctors were impressed with ‘how strong she was’.
She underwent further surgery to discover whether her leukaemia had gone. Later in the month, doctors revealed her cancer had returned.
March 2021: They were told there were ‘very few options’ to help the baby’s condition before she had another bone marrow test. She relapsed by the end of the month and underwent her fourth round of chemotherapy.
Ashley surpassed his target goal of £1million after he set up a GoFundMe to pay for life-saving treatment for his daughter Azaylia.
Heartbreaking: Healthcare professionals revealed Azaylia only had a few days to live as they discovered tumours all over her body in April
The former Ex On The Beach star took to social media to ask fans for help in donating, explaining the treatment his daughter needed is available in Singapore.
Ashley described the treatment, CAR-T therapy, as ‘the only option to save Azaylia’s life’ and said he and partner Safiyya may have to fly out in a matter of weeks, adding it will take a minimum of one year.
Celebrities such as former TOWIE star Kate Ferdinand, Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague and PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani all donated.
Despite efforts from around the world, pharmaceutical companies could not release the life-saving drugs needed to beat his daughter Azaylia’s battle.
Tender moments: Her parents bathed her in the hospital for a final time before they returned home later that month
April 2020: Healthcare professionals revealed Azaylia only had a few days to live as they discovered tumours in her stomach, her spleen, her liver and her kidneys, in addition to tumours in her brain.
Her parents bathed her in the hospital for a final time before they returned home.
They marked her turning eight months old by having moulds made of her feet, and Azaylia was met with support from the London Underground and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
She received life-prolonging transfusion after her condition caused profuse bleeding and public figures joined the nationwide clap held in her honour.
Scary: The influencer’s ‘fragile’ daughter stopped breathing and suffered seizures before Ashley confirmed her death
Azaylia was nominated for a Pride of Britain award and had a plane draw a heart in the sky for her.
The tot was put on oxygen to aid her sleep, and struggled to open her eyes due to swelling.
Scam artists set up fake Facebook pages in her name, with Ashley admitting: ‘We feel really sad it has come to this’.
Azaylia returned to hospital for another platelet transfusion a few days before she died.
The influencer’s ‘fragile’ daughter stopped breathing and suffered seizures before Ashley confirmed her death.
‘I thought we’d make the most of the sun today and have a little walk, as nurses came and told us this morning, to make the most of this weekend as Azaylia is becoming very fragile.
‘Shortly after these photos were taken Azaylia had a seizure. Her eyes rolled back, she stopped breathing and her body went as stiff as a board. We put her on oxygen straight away and called for the oncall nurses.
‘After a few hours of close observation we managed to settle her. This has happened a few times now, but it never gets any easier.
‘Yet she continues to battle through! Your determination inspires me. You impress me each and every day. I’m so proud of you. I can’t imagine my life without you. I have faith in you. My Champion. My Hero. I love you.’
‘My heart breaks for you’: Her story attracted global support – with Hollywood superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sending a video to Azaylia and her family
Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of leukaemia last October, which he described as an ‘uphill battle’.
Doctors informed the athlete and his family that the tot needed a bone marrow transplant and blood donation.
In January, she received her stem cell transplant but her cancer sadly returned following a third round of chemotherapy.
She underwent further surgery to discover whether her leukaemia had gone, but in February, healthcare professionals revealed her cancer had returned.
The former Ex On The Beach star took to social media to ask fans for help in donating, explaining the treatment his daughter needed is available in Singapore.
Despite efforts from around the world, pharmaceutical companies could not release the life-saving drugs needed to beat his daughter Azaylia’s battle.
Special memories: The campaigner recently uploaded shared a picture of the moment Azaylia met her cousin Anaya
During her last days, she received life-prolonging transfusion after her condition caused profuse bleeding and public figures joined the nationwide clap held in her honour.
The tot was put on oxygen to aid her sleep, and struggled to open her eyes due to swelling.
Scam artists set up fake Facebook pages in her name, with Ashley admitting: ‘We feel really sad it has come to this’.
Azaylia returned to hospital for another platelet transfusion a few days before she died.
For help and support caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, please contact Together for Short Lives on 0808 8088 100 or visit www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk.
Fought for her life: Azaylia’s six-month battle against leukaemia inspired people all over the world, with more than 100,000 people joining the stem cell register
Poor baby: Doctors had found tumours in Azaylia’s stomach, her spleen, her liver and her kidneys, in addition to tumours in her brain, as the chemotherapy wasn’t working