After a 5-year long battle with cancer, Leah Still and her father, former NFL player Devon Still proudly announced that Leah was officially declared cancer-free by doctors on March 25, 2020. In 2014, Leah Still was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma (a cancer that forms in nerve tissue) and only given a 50-50 chance to live.
As Leah fought her cancer with her father by her side, her story gained national attention and made her the face of the NFL’s cancer research and awareness efforts. She helped raise over a million dollars for cancer research and in 2015 Leah was honored with the Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance.
Leah Still was happy to celebrate “no more hospitals and needles,” saying: “I felt great and I was really happy, but I was also sad that I couldn’t celebrate it like how we usually do every year. But, I was also very happy because my dad cooked my favorite meal.” Devon Still marked his daughter’s crucial milestone with an emotional Instagram post, praising his daughter for her strength and perseverance in her long fight with cancer, writing: “Leah you are the strongest person I know. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving this battle everything you had. I know it wasn’t easy…I know it wasn’t fair…but you handled this battle like a #playmaker and inspired millions (especially me) while doing it. This is just the beginning I love you with every bone in my body ❤️ #CANCERFREE.”
Devon Still also released an Instagram post where he encouraged people to donate to the Still Strong Foundation, an organization that aids families of children with cancer. With the end of Leah’s battle, she and her father pledged to continue their work to help other people affected by cancer. Devon said of their efforts: “Although Leah’s cancer fight is over with, we gotta fight until every parent gets to feel this feeling of reaching five years.”
