Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee have announced their split almost a year after their daughter’s death.
The couple tragically lost their baby girl Azaylia to leukaemia when she was just eight months old.
Her parents decided to separate shortly before the one year anniversary of her death on April 25.
Footballer turned reality star Ashley revealed the news on Instagram saying: “After a devastating and heartbreaking year, Safiyya and I decided to separate a few months ago.
"This was an incredibly tough decision which we needed to keep to ourselves for some time to give us the opportunity to figure out our own journey privately."
Here we look at look at the sad signs Ashley and Safiyya were struggling – as they vow to support each other going forward and remain the “closest of friends”.
Haunted by baby's death
Ex on the Beach star Ashley spoke of being “haunted” by the fact his baby girl died in his arms.
In a heartbreaking message posted from her graveside, he said he will have to “live haunted by the fact my daughter passed away in my arms counting her last breaths".
Earlier on in the day he described how there "isn't a day that you don't feel sad or pain”.
Overcome with grief, he added: "When everything in my life felt bad I used to see her face. It made everything better. Now I can never do that again."
Battle with depression
Azaylia’s mum Safiyya spoke of her depression around the six month anniversary of their baby girl’s death.
Writing on Instagram at the time, she said: “It was really easy for me over the last few days to have just eaten rubbish and comfort ate, like I’ve been doing for so long.”
Trying to pick herself up, Safiyya added: “However, I’m choosing not to do that now. I’m going to the gym to shake this anxiety off... I’ve felt seriously depressed the past two days.”
A few days earlier, Safiyya had told her followers of the pain she was going through, despite posting a smiling photo.
She said: “While you may see a smile and the surface may seem to look ok, behind my smile there is pain, heartache, depression & anxiety that I suffer with on a daily basis.
“I lost part of my heart when Azaylia went to heaven, I lost my happiness, my soul went dark & my world feels torn apart.”
Longing for another baby
Back in January, Ashley and Safiyya revealed their hopes to one day have a sibling for Azaylia, but it seems it’s no longer to be.
The couple spoke about having a “rainbow baby”, which is often the name given to the next baby born following a miscarriage or bereavement.
Safiyya said: “I always wanted a brother or a sister for Azaylia.
“I never say never and that would be a beautiful thing for Azaylia to have siblings when the time is right, and things feel natural and organic to do that.
''We can always revisit that at a certain stage when we feel ready to do that.''
The days don’t get easier
February marked the 10 month anniversary of Azaylia’s death and mum Safiyya said the days “didn’t get any easier”.
In a series of Instagram posts, she revealed just how much she’s been struggling, telling her followers: “It’s been 10 months since she passed. And, no day gets any easier. Every day is just so hard."
“Taking these baby steps each day has really been helping me so much. Today just feels really, really hard. Everything is gripping me and pulling me back so much more. And I’m struggling,” she bravely shared.
Forever connected by their experience
Despite them deciding to go their separate ways, Ashley said he will forever feel connected to Safiyya by the devastating experience they have gone through.
He told MailOnline: “You realise a lot about someone when you're in the trenches with them and you're fighting alongside them, going through tough times.
"It is more than a normal couple can ever imagine going through and I wouldn't wish it on another couple, but now we have been through it, it has embedded a lot of strength between us going forward."
He reiterated this when announcing their split saying: “The past few months have demonstrated that we remain the closest of friends, spending time together everyday, and that we will love, care and support each other forever.
"We are bonded by our powerful journey together, by the eternal love we have for our daughter, and our passionate commitment to her foundation."
The couple set up the The Azaylia Foundation after their daughter's death to support families fundraising for cancer treatment that is not available on the NHS.
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