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The most riveting story in the NFL last season took a Hollywood turn Tuesday night when Devon Still announced on Instagram, well, read it for yourself:
"That moment you get the best news you've ever received and don't know what to do so you just flex!! We got Leah's MIBG Scans back tonight and the doctors told us they didn't see any active disease in her body!!! We still have to wait for her MRI and bone biopsy results later this week. But the doctors feel very optimistic about them because of the results from today. So for now we celebrate!! #LeahStrong #PrayersWork #ThankYouEveryOne #ImSoHappyIFeelNumb #BeatCancer."
From the Patriots cheerleaders to the Tampa fans last season, the NFL saluted the work of four-year-old Leah Still and her fight against Stage 4 abdominal cancer, culminating with the Bengals' donation of more than $1 million to Cincinnati Children's Medical Center when more than 10,000 people from all over the world purchased Still's No. 75 Bengals jersey. "It just feels so good to great news after nine months of only hearing bad news," Still said later Tuesday night. "Hopefully when they get the rest of the results Thursday it will be the same thing. It's just a great feeling."
The thankful family celebrated the news by going out to dinner to Leah's favorite restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory, where there was even more news to toast. It looks like that Still will be wearing No. 75 in stripes again this spring.
The Bengals said last month they were open to re-signing Still, a free-agent, to a one-year deal and he said Tuesday night in light of the tests he's preparing to sign and continue his career in Cincinnati.
"That was based on today's tests," Still said. "Obviously if the news hadn't been this good, I would have wanted to have spent more time with my daughter. But now that it looks like things are headed on the right path, I'm ready to go back and play football."
After being promoted from the practice squad after the first week of last season, Still played in parts of 12 games at defensive tackle and was inactive for the last three. He said he feels like he's better equipped to handle the game this year after nearly not reporting to training camp last season in the wake of Leah's June diagnosis.
"They say it's easier to cope when you see something coming. You can brace for it," Still said. "It's really hard to take on the impact when you don't see it coming. I thought I'd be able to handle it. I think know I'll be able to focus better because I know the process."
Still said the next step is a stem cell transplant to rebuild Leah's immunity system.
