Council House lit up orange for Ashley’s little Azaylia

NOTTINGHAM Council House was lit up orange as a message of strength to former footballer Ashley Cain’s baby daughter as she battles leukaemia.

Ashley was signed on loan from Coventry City to Mansfield Town before retiring due to an injury in 2012. He appeared in the first series of Ex On The Beach in 2014, before reappearing in 2015 and 2016.

He started dating Safiyya Vorajee in 2017 and they welcomed baby Azaylia Diamond in August 2020.

But at two months she was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Ashley has since revealed on Instagram that he feels “broken, scared and worried all the time”.

To show support, Nottingham City Council lit up the Council House in Old Market Square in orange.

The council said: “Tonight we are proud to light up orange for eightmonth-old Azaylia Diamond

Cain who is battling acute myeloid leukaemia.

“Everyone calls her

‘Likkle Lion’ and buildings across the country are lighting up orange to help Azaylia and her family to stay strong.”

A Gofundme page has been set up by the family to help raise money and help save Azaylia’s life.

According to the fundraiser, doctors suggested she may not survive past the first round of chemotherapy.

But Ashley said she battled on and eventually had a bone marrow transplant.

Despite the transplant and the fundraiser raising more than £1.5 million for treatment in Singapore, the cancer then spread to her brain and spleen.

Ashley said the treatment would therefore be too difficult and could potentially “kill her”.

Consultants said she would only have one or two days left to live back at the start of April.

On Instagram, Mr Cain said: “Our brave and beautiful little princess, Azaylia, who is still with us, fighting fearlessly every day.

“Thank you to everyone. You don’t understand how much all of your love and light is comforting myself and my family. For now we have another day to cherish with another special memory.”