Spiritual Courage: Devon Still and cancer-battling daughter Leah is a teatmaent that With GOD all things are possible. And this resonated loud and clear at Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards ceremony, where in an emotionally charged speech, Devon Still accepted an award for his cancer-battling daughter Leah.
The duo was honored for perseverance in the face of adversity.
Leah, who is just 5 and did not attend the ceremony, was diagnosed in 2014 with Stage IV neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer that doctors said left her with a 50/50 chance of survival.
“We had two options,” Devon Still told the ESPYs audience. “We could have lost faith and just let this battle with cancer get the best of us, or I could give my daughter’s battle with cancer a purpose, and use my platform to try to raise as much awareness as possible.”
Devon Still Accepts ESPY On Behalf Of Daughter
The NFL player for the Cincinnati Bengals, went on to express his gratitude for those who have supported them through this tumultuous time — and he saved his final thanks for Leah.
“I know you wish you could be here, but I know you’re watching,” he said. “I just want to thank you. From the moment you [were] born, you molded me into the man I am today. I always used to dream about how I was going to be able to show you so much about life, but in the five years I’ve been with you, you’ve taught me more about life than I could ever do.”
ESPYs co-executive producer Maura Mandt said the father and daughter were selected as Jimmy V Perseverance Award recipients because they serve as beacons of hope to other families who are locked in a battle of their lives.
“This award is a testament to the inspiration Devon Still and Leah are to all the families who are suffering from similar circumstances,” Mandt said. “It is our hope that with this award we can send them more strength as they face this latest challenge.”
Leah poses with her ESPY award
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