Ashley Remembers His Daughter
- MTV star Ashley Cain shared a story on Instagram remembering his late daughter, Azaylia, who recently lost her battle with leukemia.
- In early April, Cain shared that her time was limited after doctors found tumors in her brain; Azaylia was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after birth and was 8 months old when she passed.
- Coping with the loss of a child to cancer can be helped with resources like therapy.
After her passing, Cain publicly grieved on Instagram, writing: “Rest In Paradise Princess. I will always hold you in my heart until I can hold you again in heaven.”
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Azaylia’s Leukemia Battle
Azaylia’s leukemia battle began soon after she was born. Her father first shared the news of her leukemia diagnosis in October, when Azaylia was two months old.
As Cain wrote on Instgram, “She's had a tough, tough life. From eight weeks old she'd been in hospital having chemotherapy, operations, transplants. And I feel like for the last part of her life, I just want to take her home, see her like a baby and give her the best rest of her life that we can give her."
In January, Azalyia had a stem cell transplant, and in early April Cain shared that doctors found tumors on her brain and that she didn’t have much longer. The parents planned to attempt CAR T-cell therapy as a final treatment effort for their daughter, but due to the aggressive nature of Azalyia’s cancer, doctors told them it wasn’t possible.
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Coping with the Loss of a Child to Cancer
Grieving the loss of a loved one to cancer whether it’s a child or a parent can be made easier with support systems like therapy and support groups. Camila Legaspi was in high school when she lost her mother to breast cancer, and says in an earlier interview how therapy helped her cope during that time. “Therapy saved my life,” she says. “I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on.”
“Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings,” says Legaspi. “The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone. And I’m so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it’s going to be OK. No matter what happens, it’s going to be OK.”
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