Monday, September 29, 2014
Muriel Lights' Candle Designs: Devon Helping Leah With The Fight Of Her Life Stag...
Muriel Lights' Candle Designs: Devon Helping Leah With The Fight Of Her Life Stag...: Devon Still turned 25 years old July 11. The former Big Ten defensive player of the year enters his third season in the NFL with the Bengal...
Devon Helping Leah With The Fight Of Her Life Stage 4 Cancer-
Devon Still turned 25 years old July 11. The former Big Ten defensive player of the year enters his third season in the NFL with the Bengals in the midst of his prime. An opportunity sits wide open to compete for snaps in the middle of one of the league's best defensive lines.
Devon whose daughter is only four years old was face with a cancer diagnoses two months ago.
Leah, has stage 4 cancer. The disease, nueroblastoma, leaves her with a slightly better than 50 percent chance of survival only two shorts months ago. Devon who was about to start the new season when he found out he told his family I am done. Done. I didn't feel comfortable leaving my daughter while she's going through this," said Still, who lives in Philadelphia in the offseason. "She's fighting for her life. Sports is not more important than me being there while my daughter is fighting for her life."
Still sat in front of his locker Sunday morning and spoke in a controlled, honest, but emotional tone.
Less than two months removed from the news, he couldn't hide the constant sadness any more than the tears welling up in his eyes discussing the joy of placing a smile on his daughter's face.
Admittedly, his mind still spins into dark places.
"My head is messed up, to be honest with you," he said. "It's messed up. Sometimes I feel bi-polar. Sometimes I wake up and I'm optimistic. Sometimes I wake up and it's just heavy on me."
Still pushed through and got cleared to hit the field for the first time since his Jan. 9 back surgery on Saturday.
He eventually opted to re-join the team after missing a portion of OTAs because one of the top nueroblastoma surgeons in the country resides at Children's Hospital, so he and Leah's mother, Channing Smythe, agreed bringing Leah to Cincinnati would be the right move. Plus, Still could gather support of the Bengals through both tangible resources and comforting camaraderie.
Leah has completed her rounds of chemo and had surgery to remove the tumor September 26, 2014.On Sept. 9, he was brought back to the 53-man roster and has been part of the team in its 3-0 start to the season. He has traveled back and forth to Philadelphia to be with her during her treatment and surgery. Leah is fighting her way back and Devon was kept on the team allowing him the money to cover Leah care and health insurance to cover Leah cost.
Reference
http://www.today.com/parents/daughter-nfl-player-has-successful-cancer-surgery-2D80181905
http://www.usatoday.com/
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