Former NFL player Devon Still is celebrating his daughter, Leah Still, being five years cancer free.
Still marked the occasion with a series of poignant social media posts.
The smile you make when you know you did it! You beat cancer! pic.twitter.com/r6Rupu6xfy— Devon Still (@Dev_Still71) March 25, 2020
"Words can't describe how proud I am of this girl,'' Still wrote on Instagram. "No matter how hard it got or how painful the treatments were (and it was pretty bad a lot of the times) she never gave up!"
Leah was only 4 years old when she was first diagnosed with neuroblastoma and initially given only a 50/50 chance of survival, as Blavity previously reported.
In another post, Still said when Leah was first diagnosed, he was fearful of losing his daughter and missing out on "all the important moments every parent should share with their kids as they grow up."
"I was scared because our world was shaken up and I felt so lost and hopeless. I was scared because I felt like I was losing myself while fighting to not lose Leah. The point is, even when you're scared, you just have to trust God and push forward!" Still wrote.
"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," he continued.
Although a monumental victory, Still had to find an alternative way to celebrate the milestone amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The father of two posted a video on Instagram of the meal he whipped up in replacement of the steakhouse Leah had hoped to go to.
"Leah didn’t get to go to the steakhouse she wanted to to celebrate so I put on my chef hat and brought the steakhouse to her," he captioned the video.
It seems the family is still having fun while practicing social distancing, as Still shared a photo of him playing a prank on Leah and drawing on her face while she was asleep.
"This is why we fought so hard..to be able to have these moments ???? #QuarantinePrankWars starts now," he wrote.
Fans and loved ones of the Still family shared their congratulatory wishes for the 9-year-old, including Kevin Hart.
"I just want to say congrats I am so happy for you. Fighters fight and that's what you did," Hart said. "Your spirit is contagious and the world will feel it."
Though the former NFL player retired in 2017, his inspirational fight for his daughter continues to leave a mark in the league.
In 2019, New England Patriots receiver Mohamed Sanu wore “Still Strong” cleats featuring Leah's picture to honor his former teammate and the fight against childhood cancer.
RT if you think these game cleats are ????
Big s/o to @mohamedsanu for always supporting our fam and using his platform to help us continue the fight against childhood cancer with these dope game cleats of Leah! #leahstrong @Patriots @NFL https://t.co/tQsIegiOlp pic.twitter.com/ODQosbDjwe— Devon Still (@Dev_Still71) December 7, 2019
At the time of Leah's diagnosis in 2014, Still was released from the Cincinnati Bengals only to be signed to their practice squad to assist with financial support and insurance to help manage his daughter’s stage 4 cancer treatments, reported ABC News.
We wish the Still family all the best and many more victories!