NFL defensive tackle Devon Still gave his five-year-old daughter Leah an extra special belated Christmas after not being able to spend the holiday with her. Taking to Instagram on Saturday (Jan. 2), Still shared clips from their delayed celebration. In a note to Santa Claus, the football player wrote that Leah–who battled stage four cancer since her diagnosis in 2014–was “really sad” that she hadn’t spent Christmas with Still. “I know Christmas has passed and you usually only deliver gifts to kids on Christmas Eve but I need you to make this one exception,” he wrote. “She has been a really good girl and a true fighter!”
Still surprised Leah with a visit from Santa Claus, toys and Mrs. Claus included. Much to the joy of his little girl, the former Bengals star joined in on the festivities by donning reindeer antlers and a red nose for a rendition of “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” In a caption for the video capturing Leah’s surprise, Still wrote that he and his daughter were unable to spend Christmas together because of “the real life grinch.”
“We didn’t get to spend Christmas together because the real life grinch stole it from us but when you have Santa on speed dial you can make Christmas any day of the year,” it read.
Leah’s stage four neuroblastoma officially went into remission back in March. After a stem cell transplant, she suffered from veno-occlusive disease, a blocking of blood vessels in her liver. Now out of the medical woods, Leah’s final treatment is scheduled for Jan. 8. Watch Devon Still’s belated Christmas celebration for his daughter in the videos below:
A video posted by Devon Still (@man_of_still75) on
A video posted by Devon Still (@man_of_still75) on
Didn’t know we was going to be a part of this but whatever makes her happy 😂😂
A video posted by Devon Still (@man_of_still75) on