It’s been two years since his beloved eight-month-old daughter Azaylia died in his arms after battling a rare form of cancer.
And Ashley Cain has now revealed he is preparing to become a dad again for the second time.
His baby girl, who he shared with then partner Safiyya Vorajee, was diagnosed with with acute myeloid leukemia at eight-weeks-old and had tumours on her lungs, stomach and kidneys.
She was given several rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant at Birmingham Children’s Hospital but sadly died on April 24, 2021 when she was just eight-months-old, following a courageous battle.
However in an interview with The Sun, the former footballer, 33, shared the news that he is becoming a father again, and his little girl was the first person he told.
Ashley went to his daughter’s grave to give her the news after feeling that he needed to tell her in order to feel good about his new baby.
Ashley Cain has revealed he is preparing to become a dad again for the second time
It’s been two years since his beloved eight-month-old daughter Azaylia died in his arms after battling a rare form of cancer
He candidly revealed: ‘After going to her resting place and speaking to her about it, I just had a feeling in my heart and in my soul that she was happy for me.
‘She was happy that she had a little brother and it is now just someone else for her to watch over and protect in this world.’
Ashley had been preparing for the Yukon 1000, the world’s toughest survival endurance race from Canada, through the Arctic circle, to Alaska, when he received a call in July from a friend who he was dating at the time revealing she was pregnant.
While Ashley hasn’t disclosed the identity of the baby’s mother, he said they have been friends since they were 18 and have met up on and off over the years.
Opening up about how he felt after he received the news he condessed he found it difficult process, but believes every child is a blessing.
Stepping into the clinic, he said: ‘It was a nerve-racking time.
‘I was walking into the unknown but I had not been into an environment like that since I lost Azaylia. It was hard but it was beautiful, and at that moment I thought, ‘I am ready to do this’.’
Of finding out the sex, he said: ‘In the back of my head I didn’t really know how to deal or cope with it if it was a little girl.
‘It could have been fine but it could have been heartbreaking all over again and I wasn’t sure.
‘The truth is that if it was a little girl, she would still be a blessing and I would still be over the moon and the best daddy — it would just be another bit of pain to navigate
‘Now it means I have a little girl and a little boy, which is perfect for me.
‘Azaylia would have loved a little brother and this is now my chance to do what I was meant to do on this Earth.’
But Ashley’s strength was tested again when the couple discovered at the 20-week scan that their baby has a potential heart defect.
He said: ‘They couldn’t find the connection between one of the valves and the heart so it was another very difficult time for me.
‘I had already been through a really tough journey with Azaylia. I had already lost a child and I was worried and scared it could happen again.’
He continued: ‘He has got to go for a scan as soon as he is born to make sure and double check.
‘I am saying my prayers, believing positive things and getting myself in the right mindframe either way to be there for her and my son.’
