Cain Gives Back after Cancer Loss
- MTV’s Ashley Cain is giving back to families fighting cancer at the same hospital where his daughter, Azaylia, received treatment for her leukemia.
- Cain and his partner, Safiyya Vorajee, lost 8-month-old Azaylia in April after her battle with leukemia.
- Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that results from the body producing a large amount of abnormal white blood cells.
Cain writes on Instagram, “Last night we were up late preparing a little something for the special families in the oncology and transplant wards at @bham_childrens hospital…”
Read MoreView this post on InstagramHe notes the Covid-related restrictions, too, saying, “I know it was tough for @miss_safiyya_ originally as gifts couldn't be wrapped up in Christmas paper, they couldn't be boxed or packaged presents and everything that enters the ward has to be wipeable in order for it to be safe for the children.”
“…We spent our last Christmas there with our beautiful daughter…”
Cain shares with fans how meaningful this hospital is to him, saying, “One thing we know about first hand, as we spent our last Christmas there with our beautiful daughter….we realise that when you're in that situation, sometimes it is the little things that can make a big difference to your day and the fact that you are being thought about means the world (it did to us). I hope the gifts can put a smile on several families faces during Christmas and I want you to know they were all wrapped with so much love.”
In a new post, Cain reminisces about their time spent in that hospital. Sharing an adorable video of himself and his daughter dancing to Destiny’s Child Christmas songs, he writes, “Last year on Christmas I woke up in a hospital, on a cancer ward, in cubical with my beautiful baby. My little girl was battling leukemia, she was extremely poorly that day, I was unable to see any family or friends and I spent most of it cleaning up sick, messy nappy's and administering her medication…”
He emphasizes how despite its pain and challenges meaningful that day was for him. “That being said,” says Cain, “If I could go back to one Christmas… It would be that one. If I could remember only one Christmas again… It would be that one. If I could only spend Christmas with one person for the rest of my life… It would be that one.”
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Azaylia’s Cancer Battle
Azaylia passed after her battle with leukemia when she was just 8 months old. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) soon after she was born, and began receiving treatment for her disease. She had a traditional stem cell treatment in January, and on April 12, Cain shared that Azaylia only had days to live after doctors found tumors in her brain. They had planned to try CAR T-cell therapy as a final effort, but due to the aggressiveness of the cancer, doctors told them it wouldn't be possible.
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that develops when the body produces a large amount of abnormal white blood cells, which prevent the bone marrow from producing any other type of cell, like red blood cells and platelets. Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist at the University of California San Francisco, explains in an earlier interview how to best understand this disease.
"One cell got really selfish and decided that it needed to take up all the resources of everybody else, and in doing so, took up space and energy from the rest of the body," Dr. Shah says.
"In general having a blood cancer means that your bone marrow is not functioning correctly,” she explains. “And when your bone marrow doesn't function correctly it means that you can have something happen to you like anemia. Or you can have low platelets, which makes it possible for you to bleed easily. Or your immune system is not functioning correctly."
What is a Blood Cancer How is it Different?
Helping Others after Cancer Loss
Giving back after suffering a devastating cancer loss is a profoundly noble thing to do. We’re so impressed by Cain’s huge heart and thoughtfulness, in thinking of other families coping with cancer, after going through his own cancer-related loss and subsequent grief.
Helping other people has been scientifically proven to improve mood and outlook. If you’re feeling down this holiday season, look around and see who you might be able to take care of, or help, or for whom you can lighten a person’s load (even if it’s just for yourself). Taking care of others while you’re still suffering and grieving is one way to heal.
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