'I was in bed for five days': Ashley Cain reveals he's been left with breathing difficulties after contracting Covid and his body is 'struggling to recover'
Ashley Cain has revealed he's been left with breathing difficulties after contracting Covid.
The Ex On The Beach star, 30, took to Instagram Stories on Monday to reveal he was bed-bound for five days with 'fever-like' symptoms after catching the virus, and his body has 'struggled to recover.'
Ashley, who tragically lost his baby daughter Azaylia in April after a battle with leukaemia, said that after 10 days in isolation he's found relief through exercise, and urged his fans to get active to boost their own mental wellbeing.
'I was in bed for five day': Ashley Cain, 30, has revealed he's been left with breathing difficulties after contracting Covid
In a series of videos, Ashley explained he'd struggled with many of the typical Covid symptoms, such as a loss of taste and smell, fever and fatigue.
The star, who did not specify whether he has had any doses of a Covid vaccine, admitted his body is yet to recover, and his latest workout left him 'unable to walk.
He said: 'It's been a mad 10 days, I actually caught Covid quite bad to be honest. I was in bed straight for five days, couldn't get up, go fever-liked symptoms, lost my smell, my taste, headaches, backaches, just body completely aching, and then I started developing problems breathing as well.'
Worrying: The Ex On The Beach star took to Instagram Stories on Monday to reveal he was bed-bound for five days with 'fever-like' symptoms and his body has 'struggled to recover'
Ashley added that he jumped back into his exercise regime because he finds it hugely beneficial to his mental health, but now realises his body 'hasn't recovered' from the virus.
He added: 'Silly me, I still tried to work out or whatever in the house, in the garden, just to tick over because working working out and getting out is the only thing that brings me any kind of joy and relief at the minute so it was important for me to still try.
'Because being locked in is just really mentally taxing on your head. Ironically, today was freedom and it was also my freedom day as my last day of isolation was yesterday.
'So it was good for me to be able to get out, get on the bike, bike 25 miles and then swam for 20 minutes in the fresh water, which was great. However the Covid has took me way back, my body's not recovering, I did lower body circuit yesterday and today I could hardly walk.
'So I wanted to get on the bike and turn my legs to loosen them, it felt like I was biking with my brakes on with flat tyres and towards the end of my biking I was struggling to breathe.'
Important: Ashley, who tragically lost his baby daughter Azaylia in April after a battle with leukaemia, said that after 10 days in isolation he's found relief through exercise
Ashley went onto tell his followers: 'I don't know how long it's going to take me to get back to where I was and recover but I'm working on it and I'm glad to be back out. Be safe everybody.'
Discussing his plans now following the easing of all of England's social restrictions, Ashley added: 'I'm not going to be surrounding myself with a lot of people I imagine.
'I'm just going to be getting out doing my training doing my fitness and doing the things I need to do with the charity because that's what brings my personal satisfaction at the minute and I'm glad to be back, look after yourself people.'
Despite his own Covid battles, Ashley, who has openly credited exercise with helping him following Azaylia's death, urged his fans to get active, saying that after his workout it was 'the best he'd felt mentally in 10 days.'
In pain: 'I was in bed straight for five days, couldn't get up, go fever-liked symptoms, lost my smell, my taste, headaches, backaches, just body completely aching,' he said
'Even thought my lungs felt like someone was literally strangling them and my body and my legs were the sorest it's been in however many years, it's the best mentally I've felt in the last 10 days it's gave me a bit of life back, it's gve me a bit of energy back,' he said
'Exercise is great, if you are stressed if you are feeling down, exercise is great.'
Azaylia passed away at just eight months old after battling a rare and aggressive form of leukaemia.
Ashley has consistently kept his fans updated on how he's coping since she passed, with thousands of people following the heartbreaking story.
Touching: Ashley and his partner Safiyya Vorajee tragically lost their baby daughter Azaylia in April when she was just eight months old, following a battle with leukaemia
It comes after Ashley took to Instagram to mark when his daughter Azaylia would've turned 11 months.
He wrote: 'To have thought we would've been celebrating 11 months of your life today has taken my legs from underneath me.
'But watching this video and realising that no matter how tough our day was, we could always smile… Has made me want to try and smile for you today princess, because I know you will be looking down from heaven and smiling for me.
'Happy heavenly 11 months Azaylia, you were and always will be the light and the love of my life!'
Light of his life: It comes after Ashley took to Instagram to mark when Azaylia would have been 11 months old
A timeline of Azaylia's six-month leukaemia battle
October 2020: Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a 'rare and aggressive' form of leukaemia, which he described as an 'uphill battle'.
Heartbreaking: Ashley emotionally revealed his daughter had been diagnosed with a 'rare and aggressive' form of leukaemia in October
Azaylia was turned away by doctors three times and prescribed laxatives and a nasal spray when her breathing was impeded, shortly before her diagnosis.
By the end of the month, the brave child faced her second surgery and 16th chemotherapy-related treatment in less than two weeks.
November 2020: Azaylia's hair started to fall out just weeks after she was diagnosed.
Doctors informed Ashley and his family that the tot needed a bone marrow transplant and blood donation.
Due to her Caribbean, Burmese, Indian and English background, the footballer said it was very difficult to find a match for a transplant.
Azaylia was brought home for a few days before her second round of chemotherapy.
December 2020: 80,000 people became stem cell donors 48 hours after Ashley appealed for the public's help.
So sad: Azaylia's hair started to fall out just weeks after she was diagnosed in November
January 2021: The TV star confirmed a stem cell donor had been found for his baby daughter Azaylia.
She received her stem cell transplant but her cancer sadly returned following a third round of chemotherapy.
February 2021: Azaylia responded well to her stem cell treatment and doctors were impressed with 'how strong she was'.
She underwent further surgery to discover whether her leukaemia had gone. Later in the month, doctors revealed her cancer had returned.
March 2021: They were told there were 'very few options' to help the baby's condition before she had another bone marrow test. She relapsed by the end of the month and underwent her fourth round of chemotherapy.
Ashley surpassed his target goal of £1million after he set up a GoFundMe to pay for life-saving treatment for his daughter Azaylia.
Heartbreaking: Healthcare professionals revealed Azaylia only had a few days to live as they discovered tumours all over her body in April
The former Ex On The Beach star took to social media to ask fans for help in donating, explaining the treatment his daughter needed is available in Singapore.
Ashley described the treatment, CAR-T therapy, as 'the only option to save Azaylia's life' and said he and partner Safiyya may have to fly out in a matter of weeks, adding it will take a minimum of one year.
Celebrities such as former TOWIE star Kate Ferdinand, Love Island's Molly-Mae Hague and PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani all donated.
Despite efforts from around the world, pharmaceutical companies could not release the life-saving drugs needed to beat his daughter Azaylia's battle.
Tender moments: Her parents bathed her in the hospital for a final time before they returned home later that month
April 2020: Healthcare professionals revealed Azaylia only had a few days to live as they discovered tumours in her stomach, her spleen, her liver and her kidneys, in addition to tumours in her brain.
Her parents bathed her in the hospital for a final time before they returned home.
They marked her turning eight months old by having moulds made of her feet, and Azaylia was met with support from the London Underground and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
She received life-prolonging transfusion after her condition caused profuse bleeding and public figures joined the nationwide clap held in her honour.
Scary: The influencer's 'fragile' daughter stopped breathing and suffered seizures before Ashley confirmed her death
Azaylia was nominated for a Pride of Britain award and had a plane draw a heart in the sky for her.
The tot was put on oxygen to aid her sleep, and struggled to open her eyes due to swelling.
Scam artists set up fake Facebook pages in her name, with Ashley admitting: 'We feel really sad it has come to this'.
Azaylia returned to hospital for another platelet transfusion a few days before she died.
The influencer's 'fragile' daughter stopped breathing and suffered seizures before Ashley confirmed her death.
