NFL Star Devon Still Gives His Daughter A Pep Talk On Her Way Into Cancer Surgery [Watch Video]
On Sept 25, Leah Still, daughter of the NFL Star Devon Still, went through a six-hour surgical procedure to remove her tumour. It turned out to be good news for Devon and his family as the tumour was gone.
Still, a star for Cicinnati Bengals, went on to post a photo on his Instragram account and wrote that the tumour had been removed from his four-year-old daughter by a surgeon at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, reported ABC News. He also mentioned that the right adrenal gland, from where the tumour had started, was also cleared.
On June 2, the Still family received a shocking news as Leah was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. She performed in a dance recital after which, when they got home, she complained of pain in her hip. She was immediately taken to the hospital and the paediatrician said that she had a 50 percent chance of survival.
Leah had gone through chemotherapy, radiation and stem-cell transplants. Her bills could cost around $1 million, Devon said. Still's family is waiting for the day that his daughter would be cancer-free.
Before he took her to the hospital, he posted a video on Instagram which he filmed while he gave his daughter a pep talk before surgery to inspire the brave girl. Below the clip, he wrote that he might have been nervous and scared but he would not let Leah see it.
Friends and family call Leah the 'selfie queen.' The video showed a bald Leah, because of her previous cancer treatments grinning away as her father boosted her confidence. The video began with a question from Devon asking her if she was ready for the day. She responded to him with a smile and a nod.
He then asked her if she was ready to get the cancer out of her. She responds in the same way as she did for the first question. Then he told her, "Let's do it. Fist bump." after which they gave a fist bump towards the camera. The video has received more than 22,000 likes.
Devon's teammate, Darqueze Dennard offered his support to Leah on Twitter. He wrote:
Prayers for Leah Still this morning !!!
— Darqueze Dennard (@DDennard21) September 25, 2014
Video Source: YouTube/ Elimpactocristiano