Azaylia’s final farewell: Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee throw epic party after daughter’s funeral

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Ashley Cain and his partner Safiyya Vorajee honoured their late daughter Azaylia with an epic Lion King-themed party following her emotional funeral on Friday. 

The Ex On The Beach star, 30, and clinician, 35, gathered their nearest and dearest for the huge get together, in which mourners danced, drank and laughed while surrounded by incredible decor honouring the little girl. 

Azaylia passed away last month aged just eight months following a brave battle with acute myeloid leukaemia, following her diagnosis with the rare condition aged just two months. 

After chronicling her battle on their respective social media accounts throughout her short life, brave Ashley and Safiyya, along with their family, documented the celebration of their beloved girl with a series of incredible insights into the day, in which they partied alongside their supporters. 

Azaylia’s image was projected around the marquee, which was filled with balloons and laden with Lion King-themed decorations in a nod to the tot’s nickname ‘Lickle Lion’. 

A firework display concluded the evening, with the music from the Disney song playing during the display. 

One of Azaylia’s aunties, Nieki, took to Instagram to share pictures from the emotional day and penned a heartbreaking message.

It read: ‘This is family. This is love. This is us. The hardest morning of our lives was followed by the most incredible celebration for the most unbelievably precious and special member of our tribe. 

‘A little girl, with a lion heart whose both strength and softness will lay within us all till we reach the other side. . . Mummy & Daddy, you did us so proud. 

‘I hope you continue to feel your sisters, brothers, cousins, parents, uncle and aunties love and strength as we walk beside, behind and with you always. . . #FamilyOverEverything.’  

During the cortège earlier in the day, crowds lined the streets of the family’s resident Nuneaton and showed their love by clapping and cheering for Azaylia during the 15-minute journey. 

In a symbolic reference to Azaylia’s nickname ‘Likkle Lion’ as well as myeloid leukaemia being represented by the colour orange, four white horses wore bright orange feathers and were draped in covers bearing her name.   

Ashley and his male friends and family wore tangerine coloured ties and pocket squares, while Safiyya had gold letters which spelled Azaylia’s name in her hair. 

Flowers surrounded her coffin, while a floral tribute of her name and Lion King toys were displayed in a hearse which followed the horse-drawn carriage. Ahead of the funeral, Safiyya shared a photo of her nails which were patterned with angel wings, the Lion King cubs and Azaylia. 

As she listened to Mariah Carey’s When You Believe, she wrote: ‘My tribute nails to look at you all day. My heart is aching so hard. I’m so nervous for today but I promise I will do you proud baby.’

Safiyya added: ‘My guardian angel. My daughter Azaylia Diamond Cain. Mummy holds you in my heart forever.’ 

Earlier this week, Safiyya said she was touched when she saw residents had decorated the streets with orange ribbon after she released details of the funeral procession. 

Azaylia was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive cancer when she was just two-months-old, after being turned away by doctors three times. 

She spent the majority of her life in hospital, undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy and stem cell treatment. 

In April, the couple were told 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, and she tragically died later that month.  

The couple announced last week their daughter’s day of rest would be on Friday and encouraged people to pay tribute to her on ‘Azaylia Day’.  

They wrote: ‘Azaylia’s Day. We would like to thank everyone for their prayers, words of sympathy & patience over the last few weeks, while we come to terms with the loss of Azaylia.  

‘We have been incredibly moved by the support we have received far and wide and all the beautiful gesture of kindness will live in hearts forever.

‘We have been in correspondence with Warwickshire Police, to understand how we can give people who would like to pay their respects, the chance to do so. 

‘Due to current restrictions the family will be attending a private service of celebration of Azaylia’s life, but prior to the Azaylia’s service we will be giving Azaylia her last journey through Nuneaton town. 

‘We would be touched and honoured to see as many of those that wish, pay their respects to Azaylia by lining the streets somewhere along the route the cortége will proceed through.

‘We respectfully ask all attending Azaylia’s final journey to adhere to the current Covid legislation, to maintain social distancing and to keep within your family bubbles, this will ensure everyone is safe and following the rules that are set out. 

‘As truly difficult as the day will be, we are going to give it our all to keep Azaylia’s day an uplifting day of remembrance for her life and encourage anyone attending to show their love by clapping and making joyous noise of celebration as the cortege goes by!

‘We would love to make her final journey a special one as she watches from heaven. LETS GO CHAMP!’   

The former footballer said making decisions about Azaylia’s funeral was enough to ‘bring me to my knees’.  

In a message shared on his stories, he penned: ‘I always dreaded the first I’d have to plan a funeral. But I never ever thought it would be my child’s funeral. 

‘Nothing could ever have prepared me for this. Some days it breaks me and I can’t even bare to do it. I always thought I was tough, but making decisions on how I’m going to bury my baby is enough to bring me to my knees every single time.’

He concluded: ‘It’s hard to make sense of anything right now, especially why did it have to happen this way!’  

Ashley and Safiyya raised £1.6 million for Azaylia’s cancer treatment, which was the used for her funeral costs and to set up a children’s charity. Azaylia was also honoured with a Pride Of Britain award following her brave battle with leukaemia. 

The couple had originally set up a GoFund Me page to raise momey for CAR-T therapy treatment in Singapore after they were left with ‘very little options’.  

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, as her cancer was so rare and aggressive.

Of her legacy, Ashley said: ‘The world lit up. The world talked about childhood cancer. The world showed its heart. And YOU helped to make all of that happen.’ 

He emotionally went on: ‘The amount of money needed for Azaylia’s potential treatment in Singapore was raised in just 24 hours. That money can sadly no longer be used to help Azaylia but we want to make sure it is used positively – and in Azaylia’s name. 

‘After days of emotional yet careful consideration we have decided that, firstly, we would like to use some to give Azaylia a magical and deserving send off – something that we believe you would all want to be a part of. 

‘Secondly, we will use the remaining money to help other children through a new charity we are setting up in Azaylia’s name. 

‘She has guided us throughout this process and it only feels right that we continue to use the platform we built together to help those in similar situations.’ 

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