Leah had returned to the hospital for medical attention due to complications from stem cell transplants she received as part of her cancer treatments. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still received some nice Father’s Day news when he revealed his 5-year-old daughter Leah will be getting out of the hospital Monday.
The father and daughter celebrated the news that Leah will be leaving Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with a video posted to Devon’s Instagram account.
Leah was diagnosed one year ago with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer that originally left her with a 50 percent chance of survival.
Leah had returned to the hospital for medical attention due to complications from stem cell transplants she received as part of her cancer treatments.
Still is thankful on this Father’s Day as his daughter fights her courageous battle.
“Fatherhood means everything to me,” he told reporters who cover the Bengals last week. “When you have a daughter like mine, it’s easy to be a father to a kid like that. It’s easy to love a kid with everything you have when you have a daughter like that.”
Leah has spent seven weeks in the hospital, but Still said the latest treatments are working.
When the Bengals return for training camp in six weeks, the Bengals’ fourth-year defensive tackle could be competing for the last job on the roster at his position, but he stays motivated by his daughter.
“The question is, how hasn’t she motivated me,” Still said. “You watch these kids fight for their life and they keep a smile on their face. They never give up. They’re resilient. And if you ever watch that — like I’ve watched that for a year — it changes everything about you. It lets you know that you have to make the most of every opportunity that you have. I have an opportunity right now to make this Bengals team and I’m going to try to do it.”
After missing the team’s OTAs to be with Leah, Still has been working hard in the gym. Although Still was in Philadelphia to be with his daughter, he wasn’t idle. He recently bench-pressed a personal-record 405 pounds, and his offseason work has resulted in a loss of 18 pounds to be down to 296.
“I feel like I’m a different person. I have a totally different perspective on life,” Still said. “It will do that when you’re watching your kid fight for their life. You understand what’s most important to you. For me, that’s just being there and being a father for my daughter and letting her know I was going to stick by her side during this fight and that she wasn’t going to fight alone.”
The Stills will receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at The ESPYS awards show in Los Angeles next month for the way they have handled Leah’s inspirational fight with cancer,
Leah’s story has brought awareness for pediatric cancers and the Bengals have been joined by other NFL teams in raising funds. In November, the Bengals donated more than $1.2 million to pediatric cancer research initiatives based on a sale of Still’s black No. 75 jersey.
Still, now in his fourth season, was promoted from the Bengals’ practice squad after the first week of last season. He played in parts of 12 games, making 19 tackles.
