NFL player Devon Still will proudly accept an ESPY award this Wednesday. Unfortunately his daughter Leah, the little girl being honored, won’t be there to accept it herself.
Still’s 5-year-old daughter has been fighting stage 4 pediatric cancer for the past year, a serious disease that is the result of a complication from stem cell transplants. Her story dominated the sports landscape in the fall when the Bengals and several other NFL teams came together to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancers. The Bengals alone generated more than $1.2 million in donations to pediatric cancer research last November by selling Still’s black No. 75 jersey.
Still hoped that Leah would be healthy enough to attend the ESPY Awards and accept the Jimmy V. Perseverance Award this Wednesday, but according to her doctor, that’s unfortunately not the case. Still posted an Instagram featuring a few family members (but not Leah) this morning, informing us of her upcoming absence.
https://instagram.com/p/5HWBaKJ6l3/
Leah went into remission in late March, but is still going through various treatments to strengthen her immune system. She’s undergone stem-cell therapy and numerous rounds of radiation, and is hopefully on her way to a healthy life. We hope for her family that this is only one of many awards Leah receives, and that next time, she can walk to the microphone and hold the award in her own hands.
