Devon Still’s Daughter Leah Beats Cancer

In June 2014, defensive tackle Devon Still announced that his daughter Leah, who was four at the time, had Neuroblastoma Stage Four Cancer. On Tuesday, he told the world that she had beaten the disease.

Upon his daughter’s diagnosis, Still put his career on hold for her. The lineman spent several weeks sleeping alongside Leah in her hospital bed and shaved his head in solidarity with her. Sales of his jersey also went towards cancer research and the Cincinnati Childrens’ Hospital and reportedly totaled nearly $1 million.

In March 2015, Leah’s tumor was surgically removed and, later that year, her and her father received the Jimmy V Award at the ESPYs for their fight against cancer. Jim ‘Jimmy V’ Valvano died of cancer in 1993 after creating a foundation to research potential cures for the disease.

After documenting Leah’s fight on Instagram, Still posted a triumphant message Tuesday, writing:

With Leah finishing her last treatment last night, I can really say my daughter BEAT CANCER! Words can’t describe how proud I am of this girl. No matter how hard it got or how painful the treatments were (and it was pretty bad a lot of the times) she never gave up! I want to thank everyone who followed us as I documented her fight on social media. The amount of support we received was beyond amazing! I can honestly say that you all made a big difference. Every time we received bad news or felt like it was coming to a point were we couldn’t fight anymore, I would go to the comments you all wrote cheering us on and it would make us fight so much harder. I ask that since Leah’s fight is at the end that you follow other families journeys and cheer them on just as you did us! My advice to any family going through this battle: no matter how hard it gets, no matter what the doctors tell you, always remain positive! Speak victory into existence. Give your child’s fight with cancer a purpose. Use it to raise awareness so that you can help all kids fighting this disease. No matter how big or small your platform/following is, you will reach that one family that just needs to know they’re not alone in the fight so they don’t give up. drop to your knees everyday and pray. I was never a big spiritual person but I always believed in God and knew who to turn to in the time of need. Keeping faith that God will see you through doesn’t make the battle easier but it makes winning possible! It gives you back the hope that is stripped away from you every time you watch your kid endure the pain from the treatments and the bad news you often receive from the doctors. #LEAHSTRONG #STILLSTRONG

 

With Leah finishing her last treatment last night, I can really say my daughter BEAT CANCER! Words can’t describe how proud I am of this girl. No matter how hard it got or how painful the treatments were (and it was pretty bad a lot of the times) she never gave up! I want to thank everyone who followed us as I documented her fight on social media. The amount of support we received was beyond amazing! I can honestly say that you all made a big difference. Every time we received bad news or felt like it was coming to a point were we couldn’t fight anymore, I would go to the comments you all wrote cheering us on and it would make us fight so much harder. I ask that since Leah’s fight is at the end that you follow other families journeys and cheer them on just as you did us! My advice to any family going through this battle: no matter how hard it gets, no matter what the doctors tell you, always remain positive! Speak victory into existence. Give your child’s fight with cancer a purpose. Use it to raise awareness so that you can help all kids fighting this disease. No matter how big or small your platform/following is, you will reach that one family that just needs to know they’re not alone in the fight so they don’t give up. drop to your knees everyday and pray. I was never a big spiritual person but I always believed in God and knew who to turn to in the time of need. Keeping faith that God will see you through doesn’t make the battle easier but it makes winning possible! It gives you back the hope that is stripped away from you every time you watch your kid endure the pain from the treatments and the bad news you often receive from the doctors. #LEAHSTRONG #STILLSTRONG

A photo posted by Devon Still (@man_of_still75) on Jan 12, 2016 at 10:11am PST

Photo: Devon Still #75 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 5, 2014 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Article by Joe Kozlowski