News Beat
This is your first present, says heartbroken mum as she places Christmas cards next to her daughter Azaylia’s grave
IN a heartbreaking moment, Safiyya Vorajee knelt down and placed a pack of Christmas cards next to her daughter Azaylia’s grave.
With a smile on her face, she told her little girl: “This is your first Christmas present of the year.”
The cards have been created by other young children as part of The Sun on Sunday’s Christmas Cards For Kids campaign.
They are being sold to raise money to buy gifts for youngsters with cancer and to help the charity, set up in Azaylia’s name, fund treatment and research.
The limited-edition cards are on sale in Clintons.
Fighting back tears, she said: “I love the drawings on the cards, they are just so beautiful. I hope people buy them — they could help save lives.
“They were created by children to help children.
‘Precious moment’
“I laid the pack down that I’d bought for Azaylia and told her that her legacy is continuing. We can help bring happiness back.”
Azaylia was two months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukaemia in October 2020.
She died just six months later, and Safiyya and then-partner Ashley Cain founded The Azaylia Foundation in her memory.
Safiyya said: “Azaylia is five years old now. I always talk about her in the present. Grief is a really difficult subject to talk about.
“They are still here with us. They’re just with us in a different way.”
Azaylia was treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which is where Safiyya will be spending some of her Christmas Day — but not before she has visited her daughter’s memorial garden.
She said: “On Christmas morning I will wake up and shout as if she’s in the next room, ‘Merry Christmas Azaylia — let’s have a good day’ before going down to her garden. I will sing songs to her.
“Then I will go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital to deliver food to the parents who are in there with their children and going through what we went through.
“I have arranged to take them chicken and rice boxes, with the support of a catering company.”
That may seem like an odd dish for Christmas Day, but chicken and rice is what a kind stranger delivered to Safiyya and Ashley when they were at Azaylia’s bedside.
The aesthetic practitioner recalled: “A lady who followed me on Instagram arranged for a chicken and rice dinner to be delivered. I will never forget her kindness.
“We were dressed up as Mr and Mrs Claus and Azaylia was little Baby Claus.
“It was a precious moment, to sit and have a hot meal as a family. I am so grateful.”
This is the second year that Safiyya and The Azaylia Foundation have worked with The Sun on Sunday to raise money for children with cancer.
I want to try to stop other families going through what we have. I want to turn pain into purpose
Safiyya Vorajee
While delivering presents last year, she returned to the ward, where Azaylia had been treated, for the first time.
Fighting back tears Safiyya said: “That was crippling. As that lift opened to the ward, every fibre of my body just stopped.
“Even washing my hands, then hearing the sound of the paper towel pulling and coming down brought it all back. The smells just grabbed me.
“But I do it for the purpose of the Azaylia Foundation. You know, I do it for my daughter.”
Safiyya receives thousands of messages every week from people thanking her for the work she does.
She said: “Recently there was a woman who told me that she had lost her child. She said she didn’t really understand what The Azaylia Foundation did before that moment, but thanked us for all we are doing.
“My heart went out to her. I know it may sound strange, but I believe God put myself and Ashley together to be Azaylia’s parents and to do this work.
“I live with a heavy heart but by focusing on helping other families I can distract myself.
“I want to try to stop other families going through what we have. I want to turn pain into purpose.”
Safiyya says she often receives signs from Azaylia. She explained: “I was recently in London working for the charity and I walked into my hotel room. There was this glorious orange sunset. It was Azaylia.
“She is with me. She would be proud of what we are doing.”
Safiyya used to have counselling sessions to help with her grief, but has recently turned to fitness instead. She said: “I had counselling every few days at first, then every other week, every other month, until finally I stopped it.
“Before Azaylia was born, I’d trained four days a week in the gym. I’ve gone back to healthy habits now and replaced all my therapy.
“It’s taken me a long time to get there. I feel so much healthier mentally. I love yoga too. It helps me. So does helping others too. That gives me a purpose.”
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