NFL player's legendary pep talk to little daughter before her cancer surgery remains one of the best we've ever seen

Seeing their child in pain might not be an easy thing for a parent. However, sometimes they have to put a brave face on for their kid and encourage them to get through what is about to come. An NFL Player, Devon Still, did something similar for his 4-year-old daughter Leah when she was about to go through surgery for her cancer. He ended up giving a pep talk to his daughter on their way to the hospital and shared it on his Instagram page where he goes by @devonstill.

The girl was sitting in the backseat of her dad's car when he asked her, "I am ready for today. Are you ready for today? You ready to get this cancer up outta you?" The girl simply smiled and nodded at what her dad said. He concluded his talk with a "Let's do it!" Still wrote in the caption, "Pre-surgery pep talk...I might be nervous and scared beyond words but I'll never let her see it...let's get this done!" The girl was scheduled to get surgery to remove a tumor from her abdomen at a Children's Hospital on that day, as per TODAY.com. She had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma in June 2014 and given a 50-50 chance of survival.

The player had been released preseason because of his injuries during the girl's treatment. He admitted that he could only think about his daughter back then. To ensure that he could retain his health benefits and pay for his daughter's treatment, his team at that time, The Bengals, reassigned him to the practice squad. In turn, Still also helped raise $400,000 for pediatric cancer research at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital by the sale of his no. 75 Jersey. The team's fans and coach showed their support for the cause and helped raise that amount. In 2023, the girl's dad celebrated her 8 years of being cancer-free through an Instagram post. The caption read, "Sometimes you have to look back at your life to remember just how far you’ve come. Help me congratulate Leah on 8 years cancer free!"

Many people took to the comments section of the video to show their support as well as to celebrate the girl's journey. @iamsharonyvette wrote, "Leah, so many people throughout the world prayed for your recovery. As one of those people, I am so glad God healed your body." @kicks2heelscj commented, "We watched this baby grow over the years & I'm so happy & thankful to GOD that he appeared for her to make it through! Baby girl what you have is strength even on the days we didn't have it in us. I pray you NEVER have to go through any of that ever again! GOD KEEP HER COVERED ALWAYS!"

@ajazzi01 remarked, "Praise God! Praises for the Strength and Love she endured along the way. Such an amazing soul who God has given a purpose." @mindoverbody shared, "I love this so much. I followed this story through the entire time and cried with them and laughed with them and prayed with them with tears of joy. So happy to see this. God bless." @pookieparis expressed, "I remember this as if it were yesterday! The power of Faith and God’s Love, wow!"

You can follow Devon Still (@devonstill) on Instagram for more family-related content.