Devon Still's 4-year-old daughter Leah has captivated the nation with her fight against pediatric cancer. On Thursday night, thanks to her improving condition, she will be able to attend one of her father's games for the first time ever when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Cleveland Browns.
Devon Still’s daughter healthy enough to watch him play live for the first time
Thanks to her improving condition, Devon Still’s daughter, Leah, will be able to watch her father play live for the first time Thursday night when the Bengals host the Browns.
Still told ESPN that he had been hoping Leah would be healthy enough to attend this game in particular. The Bengals will be presenting a check for more than $1.25 million to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Leah’s name at the game.
For some time, it appeared that Leah would not be able to attend. She reportedly began to lose weight last week after an adverse reaction to the feeding tubes used by her doctors. She appears to be much better now, however. After dropping down to 34 pounds, she is up to 36 now and gaining.
Still said he would be spurred by her presence, via ESPN:
“It’s going to be added motivation just knowing that my daughter is watching me,” a smiling Still said about playing Thursday. “I want her to be able to hear how the crowd cheers loud whenever I make a tackle, so I’m going to go out there and do whatever I can do to put a smile on her face.”
The NFL has rallied behind the bond between Still and his daughter. The money being donated by the Bengals was raised with the proceeds from sales of Still’s jersey. Prominent league figures like New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith bought several jerseys, and rival teams sent care packages to Still and his daughter.
ESPN reports that nearly 15,000 Still jerseys have been sold. Still has returned the kindness by becoming a public advocate for cancer research and giving support to others who are dealing with the disease. Last month he paid a surprise visit to Lauren Hill, a Mount St. Joseph University basketball player who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Hill started and scored in a game for Mount St. Joseph this past weekend. Still was rooting for her, along with the rest of the country.
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