Meadowhall unveils touching tribute for baby Azaylia as brave tot’s condition deteriorates

The central dome and the glazed roofs shooting off from it were lit up to help raise awareness of acute myeloid leukaemia and show support for all of those affected by it.

The gesture was inspired after the recent story of Ashley Cain’s daughter Azaylia who was diagnosed with the disease.

Azaylia, the daughter of former Coventry City footballer Ashley Cain and girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee, was diagnosed with an aggressive rare form of leukaemia when she was just two months old.

People across the internet, saddened by the news, have helped raise over £1m in just 24 hours after Ashley started a GoFundMe campaign.

It was hoped the money could be used for treatment in Singapore before it emerged new tumours had been discovered, and that treatment was no longer a viable option.

In a video shared on Instagram, Ashley said: “Azaylia is one in a trillion – she is so special, but unfortunately so is her disease, so they can’t create the CAR-T therapy she needs.

“That means that we’re going back home, and we’re going to make our baby as comfortable as we can and have as much fun with her as possible.”

Ashley said that Azaylia has finally been able to open her eyes after two days of not being able to see.

He and his girlfriend have been consistently applying a cold compress to her eyes and eventually the remedy has done the trick.

He posted: “The swelling and the blood in her tears is causing her pain and forcing them to stick and shut. But with relentless care and improvisation we've managed to help her see the world again.

"Even though she doesn’t have much energy, she loved to see her surroundings today and had the loveliest little play time.

"We even got a smile which was worth more than anything money can buy.”

A spokesperson for Meadowhall said: “This evening, our dome will light up orange to help raise awareness of acute myeloid leukaemia and show support for all of those affected by it.

“We were deeply saddened to hear the story of the inspirational Azaylia Cain, and our thoughts are very much with her and her family.”

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