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Devon Still: 5-Year-Old Adorable Daughter Encounters ‘Serious Complication’s In Cancer Battle, NFL Player Asks For Prayers

By Pam Wright
Published on: 12:39 PST, May 30, 2015

Football fans everywhere are sending thoughts and prayers to Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still and his 5-year-old daughter, Leah, after Still announced that his daughter had a “serious complication” in her battle against cancer and has asked that the world pray for his little girl.

In March, Devon Still announced that Leah was cancer-free. Unfortunately, the family has encountered a setback in her treatment.

According to CBS News, brave little Leah entered the hospital on May 5 to start the process of getting a stem cell transplant, which takes four-to-six weeks and involves high doses of chemotherapy.

According to the Washington Post, Devon Still said Friday that his daughter was diagnosed with Hepatic veno-occlusive disease, or VOD, which is a complication that affects the liver. The condition can arise in patients who undergo stem-cell transplants, like Leah.

The announcement from Devon Still came via Instagram, with an adorable selfie of himself and Leah.

“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”

Although it sounds grim, the prognosis is good if the condition is caught early on, according to Devon Still.

Leah was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. Doctors removed a tumor from her abdomen, and she started getting chemotherapy to kill cancer cells in her bone marrow.

Although Devon Still was released from the Bengals, the organization opted to keep him on the practice squad to support him, his daughter, and to provide insurance to help pay the cost of her treatment.

Devon Still has been allowed to miss organized offseason workouts in Cincinnati to be with her on the East Coast, where she is being treated.

Little Leah is the darling of Cincinnati and has received a lot of love from celebrities, Devon Still’s teammates, and her hometown.

Prayers go out for little Leah and Devon Still.

[Image via Instagram/Devon Still]

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