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

 

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)

Cincinnati Bengal’s Devon Still announced yesterday that his daughter Leah Still is officially cancer-free. This comes after last week’s test results, which did not find any active disease in her body. But the defensive lineman was still awaiting MRI and bone biopsy results before fully celebrating.

In the athlete’s tearful caption, he described two specific dates as days he will forever remember. “June 2, 2014 and March 25, 2015 are days I will remember for the rest of my life,” Devon wrote. “As everyone probably knows, June 2nd was the day doctors walked into the waiting room to tell me my daughter had cancer. It was the most devastating day of my life. March 25th , however, is feeling like the best day of my life. Today we received news from Leah’s oncologist that her cancer, stage four neuroblastoma, is officially in REMISSION!”

This is a great end to heartfelt story, which showed good people doing good things for a child in need. Leah’s story shined a light on a father who loves his daughter and a team that stuck behind their player.

After finding out about Leah’s cancer, Devon was distraught and not ready to go back to the game. So the Bengals had to cut him, but quickly signed him to the practice squad so he would get all of their health benefits. On top of this, they sold his jersey in the team’s store and all the proceeds went to the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center Hospital — the team raised about $1.25 million in total.

But most importantly, this is a great day for Leah, who through all the struggles became the face for this horrific disease. She had a 50-50 chance of survival and as Devon stated, “kicked cancer’s butt.” On top of this, she took the role of spokesperson so well for such a young girl, showing that she is certainly mature for her age.

Now, the endeavor is not over. “She still needs more to make sure the cancer cells do not return and to build back up her immune system and other damage from the chemo but I know my little warrior will get through it,” Devon wrote. But the cancer-free news is probably the best thing you will hear all day.

In a season rife with scandals, Devon Still’s story about a father fighting alongside his daughter became inspirational. Last June, his daughter Leah was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a life threatening illness that requires countless surgeries and harsh chemo. But Leah was determined to survive and Devon, no matter what, was going to be there for her.

The Bengals, who originally cut Still after training camp, quickly signed him to the practice squad: by doing so, he received all of the health benefits needed for Leah’s expensive surgeries. And during week two of the regular season, he was promoted to the 53-man roster and proceeded to serve as a back-up on the team.

But the Bengals continued to provide support to Devon and his daughter: they sold Still’s jersey raising about $1.25 million, which was then donated to the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center Hospital. And now, Still is releasing some fantastic news via Instagram.

Barring any setbacks, there is the possibility that Leah is cancer free. The caption stated that the doctors did not see “any active diseases.” They still need to get back results from the MRI and bone biopsy, but the doctors are fairly optimistic after yesterday.

This is fantastic news for Leah and her father, who have publicly shared her battle with cancer. Lets just hope that the rest of the results come out positive, so she could come see her dad play in more NFL games: he is currently thinking over a one-year contract for an undisclosed amount with the Bengals.