Strong: Life, loss and eternal love for my daughter

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It is one of a number of gruelling cycling challenges he plans to undertake, including the Three Peaks, cycling between each of the three mountains, as well as bike ride from his home in Nuneaton to Paris as well as across part of India too. Her funeral saw hundreds of people line the streets of their hometown, shouting 'lets go champ' and holding lion and orange balloons - all synonymous with the little girl.

We are bonded by our powerful journey together, by the eternal love we have for our daughter and our passionate commitment to her foundation." Azaylia Cain's determined dad admitted: ''The Palliative team have told us to make the most of this weekend" - but he said he still believed in his baby girl's strength. He read his daughter's eulogy at her funeral. “It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do,” he says, voice faltering with emotion. “I thought, how can I write the words to describe how incredible Azaylia was, how impactful she was to my life, and the man I want to be because of Azaylia?” Ashley, who is based in the Midlands, continues: “Childhood cancer receives under three per cent of cancer research funding, which means no new talent is going into the space, no new research is being done, no new cures are being found. For me no child should go through what Azaylia went through. And I really don’t want any parents to feel what I feel.” They founded the Azaylia Foundation, which supports families fundraising for treatments not readily available on the NHS, and provides children with memorable experiences as they fight cancer.Ashley Cain is the Nuneaton resident whose heartbreaking loss has led to him becoming a household name. He is the father of Azaylia Cain, the baby girl who captured hearts not only across the nation after she passed away following a brave battle against Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. We’re thankful to Safiyya and Ashley for sharing their family’s experiences so openly and eloquently at this difficult and emotional time for them. This was a true heart felt book, and now I have read both versions, you as both parents are so strong.

He said: "It was important for me to take on this boxing challenge because my daughter fought a heroic battle against cancer on this earth for eight months. Her parents were told that she would need stem cell treatment. With the help of the Anthony Nolan charity, the couple appealed for a donor for their little girl. I had this following and I didn’t know what it was for. Then all of a sudden this situation happened and I realised I can make a difference. With his pink hair, tattoos, diamond earrings and ripped physique, it would be easy to have preconceived ideas about Ashley. He also enjoyed all the trappings that came with that – girls, nightclubs, fame and the thought that he had “made it”.Through The Azaylia Foundation, the couple say they also want to raise awareness of the signs of childhood cancer. First fundraiser But, in a heartbreaking on social media, Ashley announced the sad death of his daughter on April 25 last year. It led to tributes flooding in from across the world and there were also calls for her to be given a Pride of Britain award. A lot of people in this world are struggling with mental health – they have low confidence, low self-esteem. I believe it's because a lot of people are not truthful and transparent with themselves and people around them.” He admits that writing about his “Billy Big Banana” days for his new book, Strong, was tough. Ashley, who played for Coventry City from 2008-2010 left football in 2012 after he ruptured his Achilles tendon. He went on to appear on reality shows like MTV’s Ex On The Beach and Take Me Out.

His latest challenge, kayaking the Yukon 1000, is his riskiest yet. Billed as the world’s longest paddling race, entrants must complete the gruelling 1,000-mile course along the Yukon River, from Canada to the Arctic Circle, in 10 days Azaylia taught him to be the man he wanted to be, he says, but he can't see himself having another child. The Anthony Nolan charity paid tribute to the 'life-saving' gift the eight-month-old's story inspired. When you have that feeling for the first time in your life, knowing who you are, knowing you have resources to be able to do something about it, that’s a pretty big responsibility.They had not been seen together on social media since Safiyya shared a picture of them at Good Morning Britain in August last year. As crazy as it sounds, if that had to be her destiny, at least she went in peace and she went over to the other side and gained her angel wings in the arms of her parents." I love my daughter that much that I effectively put myself through hell every single day to make her proud. And to show to people that no matter what you have been through, there is light.” It was hard but beautiful; child labour, the experience of going through that, it was just magical. Becoming a parent for the first time. That was that time to be a family."

Well what a read! Took me a bit longer to read your book from Azaylias mum that’s because I’ve been working lots. If you fall in a river that’s two or three miles wide you aren’t really getting out,” says Ashley. “If you fall in the Arctic Circle and you do get out, you’ve got 20 minutes to hypothermia.In a post on social media, her mum said that her baby daughter's heartbeat was over 200 and they were waiting on blood test results to see if she had an infection.