Ashley Cain reveals details of daughter Azaylia’s ‘final journey’ and invites people to line the streets to pay tribute
ASHLEY Cain has revealed details of his daughter Azaylia's "final journey" ahead of her funeral and has invited people to line the streets to pay their respects.
He took to Instagram tonight to share his appreciation for the support he and his family have received since Azaylia's death aged just eight-months-old.
He wrote: "We would like to thank everyone for their prayers, words of sympathy & patience over the last few weeks, while we come to terms with the loss of Azaylia.
"We have been incredibly moved by the support we have received far and wide and all the beautiful gesture of kindness will live in hearts forever."
The grieving dad said he has spoken to Warwickshire Police to determine the safest way of allowing the people of his hometown Nuneaton to pay their respects ahead of a private ceremony attended by the family.
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.
"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! 🥲❤️."
Azaylia's final journey
Ashley Cain shared the details of his daughter Azaylia's cortège and funeral on Instagram tonight.
He wrote: "Funeral to take place on Friday 21st May 2021. The cortège will be leaving Croft road at approximately 10.00am, making it’s way through the designated route and ending in Avenue Road (by the Pingles) at approximately 10.45am.
"We request that you stand somewhere suitable at some point during this route."
The route the cortege will be taking is along:
Croft Road - CV10 7DP (small car park by Tesco’s if required)
Into Queens Road - CV11 5LD
Roanne Ring Way - (Parking in Town Centre, Abbey Street CV11 5NE)
Right into Coton Road (Parking in Riversley Park CV11 5TY)
And left into Avenue Road (parking at Pingles Leisure CV11 4TX)
Last week Ashley opened up about the agony of planning Azaylia's funeral, saying: "It has brought me to my knees".
The 30-year-old star and his girlfriend Safiyya tragically lost their little girl last month after a brave battle with leukaemia.
Ashley took to Instagram to reveal that they had started to make funeral plans for Azaylia, but some days it "breaks him" and he's unable to proceed.
He wrote: "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.
"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!"
Safiyya also said she was trying to be as brave as little Azaylia was as she battled the unbearable pain.
Sharing a photo of herself in her pyjamas, the devoted mum penned: "Wearing my rainbow pyjamas for you Azaylia.
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"My days are so empty without you, whenever I think of you I ache from head to toe as I miss you so much.
"I get the biggest lump in my throat and I just want to fall to my knees and cry.
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"But then I think what would Azaylia do? She would be brave, so I hear in my head: 'Mummy, stay strong, be brave just like me'."
She later added: "I look up to the sky every day, I realise the beauty in the sky like never before. I see the beautiful things you draw and create for me."