May 31, 2015
Leah Still, daughter of NFL player Devon Still, has suffered a setback in her treatment of a rare pediatric cancer.
Leah, 5, has been diagnosed with Veno-Occlusive disease, a serious complication of the liver that can occur after a child undergoes extensive chemotherapy or radiation.
Devon, a Camden, New Jersey native who played defensive tackle at Penn State and now plays with the Cincinnati Bengals, announced the news on his Instagram page Friday:
I need some prayers sent up for Leah tonight! We hit a pretty serious complication from the stem cell transplant called VOD. They caught it early so hopefully it gives the doctors a better chance of stopping it from getting aggressive. As you can imagine our minds are all over the place but we're going to try and remain positive! #LeahStrong#WaitingForTheDayEverythingReturnsToNormal
On Saturday night, Devon followed his post with a picture of a recent tattoo he had gotten of his daughter, noting that the anniversary of Leah being diagnosed with cancer was coming up.
Leah, who has been receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, had received news that her cancer was in remission in March. She has inspired many with her fight with cancer, both in fundraising and moments like her touchdown at Temple University football's spring game.
Devon is asking people to pray for his daughter as doctors attempt to treat Leah's new complication.
