Ashley Cain has shared another emotional update in his daughter Azaylia's battle with cancer, saying in his Instagram story Friday that a palliative care team told the family to "make the most of this weekend."
Azaylia, who is eight months old, was diagnosed with leukemia at just two months old. Chemotherapy treatments were ineffective, and two weeks ago, Cain announced that Azaylia's cancer had spread, leaving her with multiple tumors. Hospital staff said at the time that Azaylia had "days to live," so Cain and his partner Safiyya Vorajee took their daughter home.
Since then, the pair have shared detailed updates about Azaylia's condition, including a recent hospitalization and several platelet transfusions. On Thursday, Azaylia had to get her nasogastric (NG) tube — which she uses for food and medication — adjusted. In a video shared to his Instagram story, Cain said the procedure went well, but was followed by a scary moment.
"Yesterday, we got into hospital, got her platelets done, managed to sort her NG tube out fully, and then as we're getting back into the car, she had a spike in temperature and a seizure," said Cain. "Her eyes were rolling, she was hot, she wasn't breathing, so we had to get her on oxygen straight away and get her cool on the way home."
Cain said that Azaylia "settled" as they got home, but soon had a second seizure.
"We wound up having the nurse and palliative care team at our house till 1 AM," he said.
Cain said that the "journey" has been "difficult," with a lot that followers "don't see" and "wouldn't want to see."
"It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no breaks, but it's all worth it," Cain said. "Because guess what? She woke up again this morning. She's still with us today and all the hard work we're putting in now is worth the reward in the end. We get that little smile, her eyes opening, it's amazing."
On Friday, Cain shared another video of himself walking outside, this time pushing Azaylia in a baby stroller.
"We're just walking up and down the street, just to give her some fresh air, see the beautiful sky, and to keep her cool she's not wrapped up," said Cain, who said that they were still monitoring Azaylia's temperature and keeping oxygen close in case she needed any. "Who'd have thought that walking your baby up and down the street in her buggy would feel like the best thing in the world? But that does. Incredible moments every single day. ... It's only a little walk but it means so much."
A few minutes later, Cain shared the news about the palliative care team.
"(The team) told us that we should make the most of this weekend and enjoy this weekend, so you can understand what that message means," said Cain. "But the fact of the matter is we make the most of it, every day, and we enjoy every day ... I don't have to make a special effort to enjoy it because I enjoy it every day. I ain't got no plans on this little one going this weekend, trust me."
Azaylia's mother, Vorajee, said that she was "feeling the heartache more and more today" after getting the update.
"The nurses woke me up this morning for a home visit and told me to enjoy the weekend as they now think her body is slowly shutting down," Vorajee wrote on Instagram, alongside photos of Azaylia. "... Hearing those words rips and tears my heart and soul into pieces watching my little girl get tired is painful, but giving her 100% everyday is what she was promised, even when her eyes are closed I talk sing and shake her fav rattles so she is constantly surrounded by a positive vibe."
"Appreciating the hour and the min is something I never thought I would do as we all take life for granted," Vorajee continued. "I decided to put Azaylia in her pram outside in the shade today to enjoy some fresh air and hear different sounds, remember it's the small things in like that really make a difference."
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