Politics
Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee break down in tears at daughter Azaylia’s funeral as fans line streets to pay tribute
ASHLEY Cain and Safiyya Vorajee broke down in tears at their eight-month-old daughter Azaylia’s funeral this morning.
The devastated couple walked behind the horse-drawn carriage that carried their little girl’s tiny coffin as well-wishers lined the streets to pay their respects.
Ashley and Safiyya broke down in tears at Azaylia’s funeral today[/caption]
Azaylia’s coffin lay in a horse-drawn carriage[/caption]
Supporters clapped as Azaylia passed, with many wearing orange – the colour Ashley and Safiyya used to represent her brave battle.
The white horses that led the cortège also wore orange covers, and feathers on their heads.
Azaylia’s name was spelt out with white flowers in the window of one of the cars in the procession, surrounded by teddy bears – including several from The Lion King.
The funeral procession had personalised umbrellas in orange and black to keep away the rain, with the men also wearing orange ties and pocket squares – and Safiyya having her daughter’s name spelt out in a hairclip.
Her name was spelt out in flowers and surrounded by teddies[/caption]
It is an impossibly hard day for Ashley and Safiyya[/caption]
Ashley wiped away a tear as he walked in the procession[/caption]
They kept the rain away with personalised umbrellas[/caption]
Well-wishers lined the streets[/caption]
Earlier this week, Safiyya was left overwhelmed when she realised that locals had decorated the streets with bows and ribbons ahead of today’s sad procession.
She and Ashley had invited Azaylia’s supporters to join her on her final journey ahead of the private ceremony, sharing route details on social media.
Ashley spoke to local police to determine the safest way to let people pay their respects amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “We would be touched and honored to see as many of those that wish, pay their respects to Azaylia by lining the streets somewhere along the route the cortege will proceed through.
Azaylia tragically passed away last month[/caption]
Ashley previously said planning her final journey ‘brought him to his knees’[/caption]
Locals decorated the streets for the brave fighter’s procession[/caption]
The horses wore orange feathers[/caption]
Ashley’s mum and sister stood behind the couple on this difficult day[/caption]
“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!.”
Ashley previously said that planning the funeral had “brought him to his knees”, emotionally penning: “I always dreaded the first time I’d have to plan a funeral. But I never, ever thought it would be my child’s funeral.
Ashley was supported by well-wishers[/caption]
He and Safiyya put on a united front[/caption]
Safiyya had Azaylia’s name spelt out in a hairclip[/caption]
Locals waited for the cortege with balloons in Azaylia’s honour[/caption]
“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 added: “It’s hard to make sense of anything right now, especially why did it have to happen this way!”
At the beginning of April, the devoted parents revealed that doctors had told them they could no longer treat Azaylia’s leukaemia, which she was diagnosed with at just eight weeks old.
Azaylia’s battle touched hearts across the globe[/caption]
She was given just days to live at the beginning of April[/caption]
The brave parents documented her journey online[/caption]
They have been inundated with support[/caption]
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The family had just raised over £1million for her to get specialist treatment in Singapore when they were delivered the heartbreaking news, with medics finding tumours throughout her body – including on her brain.
In the weeks that followed, Azaylia needed several blood transfusions as she started to cry blood, and suffer nosebleeds – with purple bruises also appearing on her body as her illness meant that her blood could not clot.
She stopped breathing several times and began to suffer seizures in her final days, with Safiyya and Ashley providing their daughter round-the-clock care alongside their close family members.
Azaylia passed away at home on 24 April, with Ashley and Safiyya both paying emotional tribute as they broke the news on social media the following day.
