Ashley Cain has bravely opened up about the hard yet beautiful life lessons he learned through his heartache and devastation after losing his beloved daughter Azaylia when she was just eight-months-old.
Former footballer Ashley, 32, and his ex-girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee, welcomed their beautiful baby girl Azaylia in August 2020, but were sadly told that their little one battling an aggressive form of leukaemia when she was just eight-weeks-old.
Azaylia's brave parents parents remained by her side throughout her gruelling health battle until her heartbreaking death in April 2021.
Throughout her courageous and inspiring battle, Azaylia inspired millions of people from all corners of the globe - with her proud dad realising the true impact that his daughter's short life had on him.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror as part of the third series of the Under the Surface podcast, with menswear brand Original Penguin x CALM, the former footballer - who has made it his mission to encourage others to speak out about their mental health and grief - confessed that although he faces heartache every single day since losing his daughter, he believes that she was brought into his life for such a short period to lead him on a new path.
"I talk about my daughter a lot because I love her more than anything in this world, but also because she was the most bright and beautiful and inspiring and strong and courageous person I feel like I have personally ever met and ever will meet," Ashley gushed.
"The reason also why I still talk about her passing is because I am so grateful that even though now I have lost her, I was blessed to have those eight months with her, and in that time, she taught me so much. She changed my life and she continually saves my life.
"I feel like she gave me a chance at redemption and that she is the person who allowed me to be organically and authentically who I am.
"All credit to the person that I am today and the things that I have achieved has to go to my daughter. I believe now that I am just a vessel in this journey, and in my journey, I refuse to let my daughter’s time on this earth and her passing be in vein.
"If I had the privilege and the blessing to spend those eight months with my daughter, I want to share some of those amazing qualities that I adopted from her and share them with the world - because I know that a lot of people need it."
After losing his beloved Azaylia, Ashley faces pain and heartache every single day, but despite the colossal loss in his life, the star has been able to find gratitude amongst his grief.
Instead of finding reasons to be bitter for what he no longer has, Ashley has learned to embrace a different perspective, and has discovered that with gratitude, comes glimpses of happiness and an undying dedication to keep going.
"Every morning when I wake up I say my prayers and I have to show gratitude. If I don’t show gratitude, I’ll have bitterness," the former Ex On The Beach star explained.
"I’ll have bitterness not only to random people that I meet that have what I have lost, but also my family who have what I have lost.
"So, I have to show gratitude. In me having to show gratitude to continue this life and being the person that I want to be, I also genuinely see the blessing in it - I have to feel grateful for those eight months because I believe I got to spend eight months with the most amazing person I could have ever hoped, wished, or dreamed of.
"During that time, I realised that even in what seems unimaginable and unescapable darkness, there is so much light and beauty to be found that you can be so grateful for."
Speaking about his new venture, Ashley said that since losing his daughter, he has felt compelled to speak up and encourage others who may be suffering with mental illness or grief in silence to voice their issues.
"Initially, my aim throughout my journey and throughout my daughter’s passing - it was never just specifically to get men to open up," Ashley explained.
"It was always just about me being transparent with how I was feeling and how I was dealing with things and coping. In me just being very open and honest, I saw that there was kind of a need for people to talk and express themselves - for people to open up and I think it’s crucially important because in me opening up or having to cry at times it’s not a sign of weakness - if anything that allows me to be strong."
The brave star went on: "I think for me, crying is a form of of releasing that built up stress and tension especially if I’m talking about my daughter which is a very traumatic subject matter for me.
"I think talking is a way to release that stress and pressure and helps to not necessarily move on from the pain that you’re feeling, but you can move on with it you can actually utilise it and use your struggle as a form of your strength and use your pain as your power and that’s what I’ve done."
Ashley Cain was speaking to The Daily Mirror in partnership with the Under the Surface podcast with menswear brand Original Penguin x CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). You can listen to the full episode, here.
