Safiyya and Ashley were interviewed on Good Morning Britain today.
Safiyya Vorajee, who lost her baby daughter Azaylia in April 2021, has spoken about her experience with grief.
She shared Azaylia with her former partner Ashley Cain. The couple split following their daughter’s death. Azaylia was just eight-months old, and she had been ill with acute myeloid leukaemia.
This morning, Safiyya and Ashley dropped by Good Morning Britain to talk about The Azaylia Foundation, which they established to support children with cancer and their families.
She explained that working on the foundation gave her a “purpose” which she struggled to find after her daughter’s death.
She said: “For me as a mother I found it really difficult to find my purpose in life anymore. I didn’t know what to do, and I really didn’t know how to find that direction to navigate my grief, and I found it. It was turning my pain into purpose.
‘As a grieving mother, I found it difficult to interact with other children.’
‘Azaylia taught us the true meaning of strength.’
Safiyya Vorajee & @MrAshleyCain lost their daughter Azaylia at just 8 months old to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. They have founded The Azaylia Foundation. pic.twitter.com/qWhRLGYcaN
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 15, 2023
“It was helping other children, families. I wanted the community to get involved, I wanted to send that message far and beyond the country so teachers, parents, children could just have a beautiful day being kind and inclusive to one another.”
Ashley echoed this sentiment as he spoke about Azaylia’s legacy, which inspires him to support other children and their families.
“She taught us how to (have) courage,” Ashley said. “She taught us how to smile even on our saddest and toughest day.
“I think it’s the lessons that we learnt from Azaylia that we want to spread to the world now, to help lift, not only these children fighting cancer, but everyone in this world, and bring everyone together as a community because we believe that with love, it can conquer all.”
He went on to explain that the children he meets through the foundation’s work “inspire” him.
Related links:
- Ashley Cain explains why he’s never going to shave his beard
- Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee split a year after baby Azaylia’s death
