‘I’ve Been Through Worse Than Death’: MTV Reality Star Ashley Cain Vows to Dedicate His Life to Childhood Cancer After Losing Baby Azaylia in April

“I personally don’t fear death anymore because I feel like I’ve been through something worse than death every single day,” Cain shared this morning in an emotional video post on the foundation’s new Instagram page.

“Inspired by the incredible strength of Azaylia Diamond Cain, we’re on a mission to raise awareness of childhood cancer, to support families who are fundraising for treatments that may not be readily available on the NHS (National Health Service), and to provide children with memorable experiences throughout their journey,” the couple wrote alongside the video post. “We are Fearless in the Fight Against Children's Cancer,” they add.

 

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Baby Azaylia was first diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at eight weeks old and underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Doctors had turned the family away three times prior to finally getting a proper diagnosis, which is why Cain is determined to raise awareness. Parents should look out for these symptoms: a lack of appetite, trouble breathing, fever, vomiting and extreme fatigue.

"Rest In Paradise Princess. I will always hold you in my heart until I can hold you again in heaven," Cain posted when his daughter peacefully passed away at home with her parents. He had also posted a photo with the text: "She's proof that you could walk through hell and still be an angel."

 

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The family has been showered with love and support from around the world, and last year, the little girl's heroic fight even inspired a record-breaking number of stem cell donors to join the Anthony Nolan registry, a charity out of the UK that specifically helps blood cancer patients.

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is a blood cancer. Acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, which is the type of cancer Azalyia has, starts in the bone marrow (the soft inner part of the bones), but usually quickly moves into the blood, according to the American Cancer Society, and can spread to other parts of the body like the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), as in Azaylia's case.

Leukemia develops when the body produces large quantities of abnormal white blood cells. Because they're abnormal, they prevent the bone marrow from producing any other type of cell, namely red blood cells and platelets.

Related: One-Year-Old Little Girl Needs A Bone Marrow Transplant While Battling Chronic Myeloid Leukemia 

Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist at University of California San Francisco, explains blood cancers in a simple way. "One cell got really selfish and decided that it needed to take up all the resources of everybody else," Dr. Shah tells SurvivorNet, "and in doing so, took up space and energy from the rest of the body."

"In general having a blood cancer means that your bone marrow is not functioning correctly," she continues. "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?

The Impact of Childhood Cancer on a Family

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