Ashley Cain endured the most unimaginable pain that a parent could bare back in 2021, when his eight-month-old daughter died of leukemia.
The reality star and his now ex-girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee were over the moon when they welcomed their baby girl, named Azaylia, in August 2020.
But their lives were soon shattered after Azaylia was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer at just eight weeks old, with tumours having grown on her lungs, stomach and kidneys.
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Despite several rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, the tot tragically passed away eight months later.
Ashley and Safiyya later set up The Azaylia Foundation in honour of their little girl, before making the decision to end their relationship following a difficult time supporting each other through grief.
"After a devastating and heartbreaking year, Safiyya and I decided to separate a few months ago,” Ashley said in a statement at the time.
"This was an incredibly tough decision which we needed to keep to ourselves for some time to give us the opportunity to figure out our own journey privately."
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This weekend, however, former Ex on the Beach star Ashley announced that he is set to become a father for the second time, and will be welcoming a little boy next year.
Though Ashley revealed he is not in a relationship with the mother of his future-son, the ex-footballer revealed that former partner Safiyya was one of the first people he told about his happy news, describing their conversation as 'painful'.
"It was painful for Safiyya but it was also painful for me as well to talk to her,” he told The Sun.
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"We haven’t been together for a while now and it is inevitable that at some stage people are going to move on with their lives - that doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends and have an amazing relationship."
He continued: "I know Safiyya will always support me and I will always be there to support Safiyya.
"It wasn’t an easy conversation or filled with smiles but it was a conversation that had a lot of truth and respect."
As well as talking to ex-partner Safiyya about his incoming addition, Ashley revealed that he also visited his late daughter's grave to tell her about the baby, admitting he initially felt 'guilty' about it.
He added: "I believe that was a huge part that has allowed me to feel positive about it.
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"I feel like she was the main person that I needed to speak to and to get this thing off my chest.
"After going to her resting place and speaking to her about it, I just had a feeling in my heart and in my soul that she was happy for me."
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@mrashleycainTopics: Ashley Cain, Parenting, Sex and Relationships, Celebrity, TV And Film